The Champion
by Saint Danielle
Summary: "You are not pure of heart. You are just as flawed as all the other humans..." The Wizard said as he looked Izuku in the eyes. "But I have no choice but to trust you. Now say my name, Izuku Midoriya. Say my name and become this world's Champion."
1. Chapter 1: Say the Name

**What's up, everyone! Welcome to the brand new story by myself. Based on one of my most favorite heroes of all times: Captain Marvel! **

**Or as you know him now, SHAZAM! **

**Read and review. I am really curious what you guys think of the story.**

* * *

"No, this one is no good either."

The old Wizard sighed as he sent another flawed human being back to her world. And here he hoped she would be the one. She had the sense of responsibility and willingness to help those in need. But again, she failed to resist the temptation. Too prideful. Too sure of her own infallibility.

_"The seals are growing weaker, Wizard," _one of his Masters spoke impatiently. _"Soon they will no longer able to contain the evil you've imprisoned."_

"I am well aware of that," the old man sat down on his throne. "But we cannot be careless in our choice. The next Champion must be pure of heart. Or else we shall only gain another threat to deal with."

_"And what if you fail to find that pure-hearted person and pass away?"_ the God questioned. _"What happens should you fall before the next Champion is properly trained?"_

"Then I simply won't fall," the Wizard said as stared the God down. He might have been their servant but he would not have his commitment questioned. "I shall find the worthy candidate and train them into the Champion the world shall rely on in its darkest hour."

Zeus remained silent before quietly retreating back into the old man's staff.

"For the sake of both realms, I pray that I can find him."

**Z**

"You got into another fight, son?"

Izuku used to keep quiet about the bullying. He didn't want to get mom involved because Kacchan's mom was her best friend. And when his attempts to bring it up with teachers failed, he decided he was better off staying quiet. He had long since accepted that Kacchan wouldn't stop messing with him. But now he at least had someone to talk about it with.

Izuku looked up at the owner of the shop, "Not much of a fight when you don't hit back."

Mister Murakao chuckled sympathetically as he placed a hot bowl of katusdon in front of him. Izuku could feel his mood improve as he took the smell in. Much as he loved mom, the man's katsudon was unbeatable in terms of taste and price.

"What pissed him off this time?"

"I guess it was sort of my fault," Izuku said with a small sad chuckle. "We had a guest speaker today, the Unstoppable Heroine: Bullet. She talked about her Quirk, some new equipment and Kacchan... Well, Kacchan decided to hackle her on how her Quirk is dumb because she can move only in direction."

The rest of the students picked it up fast.

"Let me guess, you had something to say about it?"

"I-I did," He only said they were wrong but the entire place immediately grew quiet, all eyes suddenly on him. "Kacchan wasn't happy with it though. So after all was said and done... Well, now you know why I got this black eye."

Murakao hummed in disapproval, obviously pissed that the teachers did nothing about it. But then again, who was he and who was Kacchan? Kacchan was a genius. As rude and obnoxious he was, he consistently scored in the top five percentile of the class. Nobody doubted he would become a hero too. And Izuku? He was smart but he wasn't a prized student.

Which made the choice for teachers easy enough.

"Guess that's what you get for being goo- Ouch!" Izuku hissed as Murakao slapped a wooden spool against his palm. "W-What did I do?"

"You were spouting bullshit there, Midoriya," the man glared. Not in anger or disappointment, however. "Being kind and helping others is never wrong. And pushing others around is in no way a sign of strength. Trust me, Kacchan will learn that in his own time. And you better keep that cynical shit out of your bright big head, okay?"

Izuku smiled, "I will try."

Having paid for his meal and promised for a second time to hold onto hope, Izuku left. On his way to the train station, he couldn't help but go back to the words of Murakao. Izuku wouldn't call himself a cynic but he couldn't claim to be an idealist either. Kacchan bullied and pushed everyone around but was praised and encouraged to become a hero. Was it really fair? Was it just?

"Ugh, I should just stop thinking about it," Izuku sighed as he got onto the train. he was only going to make himself feel worse by thinking about it too much. "I should head home before mom gets worried."

Maybe if he wasn't distracted by the news on his phone, Izuku would notice something off about the train. Not just the complete absence of anyone but himself. But the strange atmosphere in the air itself. But being too consumed by the latest rumors on All Might, he paid it no mind. Until the train began to go faster.

Izuku cried out in surprise as the train stopped going dangerously fast. His phone fell out of his hands and smashed against the back wall and Izuku was too focused on clinging to his seat for his dear life. Eyes wide in shock and panic, he looked outside the window and could only stare in bewilderment at the streaks of lightning on the other side of the glass.

Finally, all of a sudden, the train came to a halt. The doors opened as the voice announced the arrival. Afraid but curious, Izuku stepped outside the train and into the complete darkness. He looked at the train, now only finding his section of the vehicle stuck in the middle of nowhere. Was he dreaming this up? He tried to pinch himself awake but to no success. Wherever he was, it was real.

A part of him wanted to sit down and just wait for someone to save him. But his gut told him to try and find an exit.

He trusted the latter.

"H-Hello? Is anyone here?"

Nobody responded. But Izuku could swear he was heard. A weird feeling, like when you talked to someone but they ignored you. He felt someone watching him the shadows. In anticipation. In judgement. In apathy. None of the emotions spelled anything good for him.

"Whoever you are, this is not funny!" He hoped the anger hid his fear well enough. "I am warning you, there will be people looking for me!"

Then again, if this person could just randomly kidnap anyone on a whim, how much of a threat were his words? Shit, just what could they even want from him? He wasn't anything special. He wasn't rich or famous. He wasn't a hero or even related to one. He was just a kid, for God's sake. What could they possibly want from a kid?

As he continued to try and understand why anyone would abduct him, the list of reasons grew smaller. And with that, his worst fear seemed less and less unrealistic. He wasn't kidnapped for random or some sick revenge. No, much worse than any of that, he was kidnapped by some serial killer for their own amusement. Shit, shit, shit! He had to get out of here. There had to be an exit somewhere!

_**"Izuku Midoriya,"**_ The young man froze as the several voices spoke at once. _**"Follow my voice."**_

There was a light before him. Warm and welcoming, it illuminated the path made of white stone. Surrounded by nothing but the cold darkness, Izuku quickly stepped to walk the path before him. Maybe it was a trap. Some sick cruel joke of his kidnappers they played before gutting him like a fish. But he didn't like his chances of walking through the complete dark either.

With each step he made through the path, Izuku saw flashbacks of his life. The first time he saw a hero. All the times he played make-believe with Kacchan and others. The crushing truth of his condition. The years of bullying. Was it the effect of one of the kidnappers' Quirk? Or was he just seeing his life before it ended?

His thoughts came to halt as he found himself at the center of some sort of throne room.

It looked so old and abandoned, the seven thrones covered in dust and moss of the ages. Just what was this place? And where were the voices that guided him here? "Please, whoever you are, I just want to go home!"

He felt no shame in feeling afraid. He felt no shame in begging to be let go. And why would he? He didn't want to die, as pathetic as that might have sounded to some. So he pleaded and begged, hoping that whoever brought him here would take him back to his home. His pleading didn't last much longer before the powerful voice interrupted him.

"Enough," the voice interrupted and Izuku's eyes were drawn to the figure sitting on one of the thrones. He looked blurry, as if he was hidden behind some fog or veil. "Your affinity for magic is weak... But then again, so is everyone's in this day and age."

Magic?

"I-I... I don't understand... What are you talking about?" Izuku walked up to the man and kneeled. "Please, just let me go home!"

The man stared at him judgingly. With each passing second, Izuku saw the man more clearly. His grey compexion. His white dirty beard. His snow white old robes. His golden staff with the lightning bolt on its end. The man looked like a wizard from all those stories he read as a kid. And yet he looked so much more tired and so much less cheeerful than the kind and gentle wizards from the child books.

"Why did you bring me here?"

The man answered bluntly.

"To save the world."

His only response was to stare in confusion and disbelief.

"Long time ago, the magic - a gift from the beings we grew to know as Gods - existed alongside your kind, young Midoriya," the old man traced his finger across the air and summong forth the golden dust. Without any other command, they started forming the pictures of the days long gone. "It was the power that was used for the greater good of all. But as the humanity grew in numbers and intelligence, there appeared those who corrupted this gift."

Figures of black dust appeared and spread chaos across the world.

"The Gods have chosen the worthiest of mortals to become the humanity's Champions and we were able to seal the evil away along with the knowledge of magic. For centuries, the seals were being held by the humanity's remaining belief in the magic and miracles." the Wizard's tone grew somber. "But now the seals are growing weaker. The ancient evils can no longer be contained," his eyes focused on Izuku, burrowing into his very soul. "The world needs a new Champion."

And that was supposed to be him? The fear and doubt gave way to hope and dream of the past. But that didn't make any sense. He couldn't be a hero! He was Quirkless. Unless... Unless the magic the man spoke of was real. With this magic, could he be the hero he always wanted to be? The hero he knew he was able to be if given a chance?

"I... And I can be that Champion?"

The old wizard's eyes narrowed. And once more Izuku could feel his memories float back to the surface. Now he knew why. He was being judged. The wizard was looking to see if he was worthy of this power.

"You are young... But you wish to help others. And you still long to see the good in others as well," the man mused. Not a confirmationg of his worthiness. But not a rejection either. "You have the potential in your soul. But it is not I who shall decide to make you the Champion."

The man struck his staff against the ground, summoning the lightning into the throne room. Six figures of light rose one after another as the old man approached him with the air of wisdom and importance. Standing so close to the old man, Izuku felt the power he could never imagine existing. The power far above and beyond that of any hero or even all heroes combined!

"It is up to them."

The Gods.

Izuku wasn't a religious person. He grew up believing that whatever good and bad was in the world came from the people, not someone up in the sky or down below. But the moment he saw the six figures surrounding them, something deep within him told him that the giants staring down at him were nothing if not the Gods themselves.

"Gods of the Pantheons, does this man have what it takes to guard this realm?" the old man spoke, his voice as loud and powerful as thunder. "Is he worthy to be your Champion?"

The Gods began to speak. He had no idea which language each one of them spoke in. He swore he recognized some traces of Japanese in the words of one of them. But not nearly enough to figure out their judgement. Their faces, obscured and unclear behind the veil of bright lightning, were impossible to read as well. Which left him to stand quietly awaiting for their judgement.

**'They will not choose you.' **

He looked for the source of the voice but found none. It sounded too real and too close to be a trick of his imagination.

'**Don't show that you can hear us. Or they shall banish you immediately.'**

He willed himself to look as calm as he could. The voice chuckled at that. But not in mockery, but rather genuine delight.

**'The Wizard and the Gods have been searching for the Champion for countless years by now. You are just the lastest one among the long line of candidates they picked. They won't choose you.'**

'You don't know that,' Izuku spoke in his mind. 'I could be this Champion. I know it.'

**'True,'** another voice spoke out. **'But why would you wish to be one?'**

'To be a hero,' was Izuku's immediate response. 'To help people. To save them and fight for them when they cannot do it on their own.'

**'A noble goal. But one that proves itself fruitless every single day.'** the third one said apathetically. **'Tell me, Izuku, do you honestly believe that the world is a good and fair place? That the life will reward good people and punish the bad ones?'**

Yes, Izuku wished to say but couldn't. The answer got stuck in his mind as the memories of his own bullying came to mind. Would Kacchan ever really get his comeuppance? Would any of the guys like him ever answer for their actions? He wished he could say they would. But he couldn't. He simply couldn't lie to himself like that.

**'You have a noble heart, Izuku.'** he could practically feel the hand on his shoulder as the fourth presence made itself known. A pair of soft and warm arms embraced him as the voice whispered in his ear, **'But Gods have no need for a noble man.'**

'Then what kind of man do they need?' Izuku asked incredulous. If it was not the good and pure heart they sought, then what did they want in their Champion?

**'An obedient man,'** the fifth one hissed. **'One that shall enforce their will on the mortal world. That's what Champions are for, after all. They do whatever it takes to make sure their Gods are revered and worshipped.'**

'B-But that's not fair!' Izuku protested. That didn't make any sense. Could these Gods and Wizard be the villains? 'So I will be forced to do whatever they tell me even if it is not the right thing?'

**'Yes,'** the sixth one spoke calmly and rationally. **'But there's a way around it. We can help you become the hero this world needs.'**

He could see it. The world where everything was fair and just. In his world, there would be no injustice or cruelty. He would make sure of it. The weak and good would be protected. The corrupt and evil would be judged and punished for their crimes. Yes, that was what the world would become under his watch. And if any of villains tried to stop him, he would send them where they belonged.

He looked at the Gods, who still argued over his worthiness. But now he saw them not as titans of bright light but as cruel and self-absorbed tyrants in the making.

'...What do I need to do?'

**'When they try to send you home, the Wizard shall have you place your hand on the staff,' **the seventh one spoke, instilling determination in him. **'You must take it away from him and then summon us forth. Prepare, young Izuku, their verdict is ready.'**

Izuku took a deep breath and looked at the Wizard and the Gods.

"Izuku Midoriya, we have made our decision. Please, come forth."

He did so and stood before the Wizard, eyes placed firmly on the staff.

"The Council of Eternity is ready to bestow the power of Gods upon you," the Wizard smiled proudly, even as Izuku's eyes widened in surprise. "From this day forward, you shall become the realm's Mightiest Mortal and the Champion of the Gods. Place your hand on the staff so that I can bestow this power and responsibility upon you."

He was chosen? But the voices said... No, he couldn't hesitate now. Those voices could still be right. Even if he was chosen, the Gods could still be corrupt. Yes, that was it. There was no way these Gods could be trusted. But once he had their powers, with the protection of the seven voices, he could make the world into utopia only he could create.

"I am thankful, Wizard..."

He placed the hands on the shaft and felt the power flow through his veins.

"... But you and your Gods are not what this world needs."

Wrestling the staff from the man was surprisingly easy. Following the instinct, Izuku slashed the air with the weapon and sent a wave of electricity at the old man. Before he or his Gods could attack him back, Izuku raised the staff and smashed its tip against the ground. With his blood aflame with power, his voice thundered through the hollow space and into the sky:

"AGILIAS!"

That was the word the voices told him would protect him from Gods. The equivalent to their own summoning spell. He braced himself, fully ready to take on the mission of changing the world for the better.

Only to collapse onto the cold floor a second later.

"W-What happened...?" he looked at his hands, no longer feeling the power from a few moments ago. He glared at the Wizard and the Gods. "Just what did you do to me?"

"I tested you, young Izuku," the Wizard spoke, voice full of disappointment. "The voices you heard? They were of my creation - a spell to see if you could resist the temptation and lies of the enemies the Champion is to face. You might have a good heart. But it is not pure of sins."

Seven mists rose around Izuku as he could only helplessly listen to the old man's judgement.

"Pride. Wrath. Sloth. Lust. Envy. Greed. Gluttony," his voice grew louder and anrgier with each word. "Those are the Seven Deadly Sins that threaten the humankind. Those are the Sins that I see in your heart!"

Sins in his heart... What was his prideful of? When did he ever show Greed or Gluttony? No, the Wizard was wrong. He was wrong! He had to be wrong, for God's sake! He wouldn't rebel if not for the test! The voices said the Gods were evil, how was he supposed to just accept the servitude under them?!

"Bullshit!" he roared. "Your test is pure bullshit, you asshole! How could I ever accept the servitude under the Gods if they were evil? Doesn't my readiness to go against you prove I am worthy? I was ready to fight Gods to make the world a better place, is that not good enough? Is that not what a hero would have done?"

The Wizard nodded in agreement.

"Your readiness to protect the world is admirable," the old man sighed. "But you are not the first one who believes they know what the world should be. You have seen the injustices of the world and you wish to stop them. But you also see yourself as the only one who knows what is best. And, if given such power, you wouldn't stop at anything to make the world as you see it fit."

A wave of the hand and the world around them changed. Izuku saw his perfect world. Clean and just. No criminals. No bullies. Everything was perfect. The beatiful picture was soon twisted as Izuku saw the same clean streets running red with blood. Statues of him at every corner as people hurried away from his wrath.

At the center of his perfect world, Izuku saw the mountain of bodies from which all that blood came. Villains, heroes and ordinary citizens were layed upon one another into the hill of corpses - upon which Izuku sat with his eyes ever-judging all that he could see.

"N-No, that's not right! That's not m- I... I can change," he whispered. He could change. He knew that monster wasn't him. "With your guidance, I can be better! Please, just give me a chance to prove myself worthy to you!"

The old man was silent. And for a moment, Izuku allowed himself to hope that he would still become that Champion.

"I am sorry." the man said, his tone not allowing any argument. "But we have no time for flawed candidates."

Izuku tried to protest and ran at the old man. In a flash, however, he was gone from the throne room.

Wizard sighed at yet another failure. The Gods - or rather, their remnants - retreated back into his staff. How long has he been searching for the one true Champion? How many humans have failed due to their own Pride or Greed? He wished he could remember the exact number but that has been lost to time centuries ago. He had not a minute to spare on his regrets and musings.

He could feel the darkness grow stronger with each day.

He knew that the dark forces the Council had sealed would soon come back.

"I must continue on."

There had to be someone worthy.

**Z**

"Midoriya, is my class that boring to you, young man?"

A few snickers and chuckles and another condescending sneer from their teacher. There was a time when Izuku would feel embarrassed by it and hide his face in his notebook. But now it seemed so much smaller and less significant.

The world was in danger from the ancient evil, apparently. And magic existed as well!

And Izuku blew his chance to be a hero.

'Would I make a good Champion though?' Izuku wondered as the class ended. It has been three weeks since the faithful encounter with the Wizard and all this time the green-haired teen spent asking himself the same question. 'Am I really not worthy to be a hero?'

Izuku always thought he could make a good hero. But maybe that was the Pride the Wizard mentioned? That he was so absorbed in his idea of being the underdog the story that he never saw his own flaws? If he got the power of Gods, could Izuku honestly say he would never be tempted to use to get even with Kacchan and the rest of his bullies?

He used to think he wouldn't.

Now he wasn't so sure.

"Oi, Deku, the hell are you doing up here?"

Izuku sighed as he turned to Kacchan and his cronies. He loved to have lunch on the roof - he could enjoy his food alone without anyone bothering him. What was Kacchan doing here though?

"I was having lunch, Kacchan. So just leave me alone and be an asshole somewhere else," Izuku snapped. After being denied a chance to be a hero, he found himself just so angry at everything. Unfortunately, that wasn't unnoticed by the blonde and Izuku found himself on the ground with his foot pinning him down. "K-Kat-"

"You fucking nerd..." the blonde growled as he pressed down on his stomach. "The hell do you think you are. huh? Or did the worthless Deku ginally grow some fucking balls and spine?"

He didn't answer, only glaring in response. This was just wrong. The Gods judged him unworthy and why? Because he hated Kacchan? Because he was angry at the years of bullying and abuse? What was he supposed to do? Always smile and think of an excuse for Kacchan and his lackeys being assholes to him? Was that what Gods would consider a worthy Champion?

"You know, Deku... I really pity you," Kacchan smirked. "Dad who is never around. Mom who feels ashamed of her son. And being a Quirkless little bitch on top of that... I mean, wow, if my life was as shitty as yours, I would have ended it years ago."

His cronies laughed at the joke, enjoying the tears that were now openly running down his face. Shit, why couldn't they just leave him alone? Did they honestly have nothing better to do than push him around?

"Hey, that's actually a bright idea!" Izuku yelped as he was roughly pulled off the ground and shoved against the railing. Izuku looked down on the ground and then back at Kacchan. "Well? What are you waiting for, Deku? Jump and hope you get a Quirk in your next life, you Quirkless shit!"

He could do it. Take a leap off the roof and end it all. He didn't have anything to live for anyway, right? He would never be a hero. And even if by some miracle, he developed a Quirk right now, the fucking Gods looked into his very soul and found that he was not worthy of being a hero! So why was he hesitating? Why couldn't he just jump and be done with it?

Because he was afraid.

"Heh, thought so," Kacchan scoffed and threw leftover meal at Izuku's head. "Too weak to fight. Too scared to die. And you wanted to be a hero."

They slammed the door as Izuku sank to his knees.

They were right.

All of them - the doctor, the bullies, the Gods - were right about him.

He could never be a hero.

**Z**

"Oi, Katsuki, come here for a second."

Katsuki sighed as he came down to the living room. What could mom need from him? "What is it, old hag?"

"Watch your mouth, you brat," she scoffed. "You free this weekend? It's about your friend Izuku."

Katsuki suppressed the growl. That's right, their moms had no idea he left the pathetic nerd behind. Said nerd hadn't shown up in school for the whole week, which drastically improved his mood. And now the little shit was bothering him out of nowhere.

"He hasn't been feeling well," mom continued. "Inko thinks he is getting bullied. I want you to take him out for some fun this weekend. You know, help him clear his mind and maybe learn who is giving him trouble. He is your friend, he will definitely tell you."

He knew that already, he wished to say. He was the one who put that useless little nerd where he belonged, he wanted to rant. Bullying? Fuck off with that bullshit. If that piece of shit thought he could be a hero, then he should have been ready to back that nonsense up. Not Kacchan's problem the moron dreamed of some shit he could never have.

"Yeah, no, I got better things to do," he scoffed and headed to the exit. "If he can't solve his problems by himself, then he deserves whatever he gets!"

He slammed the door and ignored the outraged cry that came from behind. Seriously, it wasn't his fault Deku was a useless loser. If that idiot learnt his place from the beginning, maybe he wouldn't need to spend time and effort to remind him where he belonged and what he could never be.

It was all Deku's fault in the end.

"What a delicious delusion~ Care to spare some for the old starved soul?"

Katsuki reacted fast and struck the creep that snuck up on him in the neck. Getting some distance between them, the blonde took a good look at the unfortunate moron who decided to piss him off. Tall, lanky and pale, the guy looked half-dead on his owm. Almost made him feel bad about that hit. Almost.

"Oh my~ You've got fire in that belly!" the creep laughed, licking his lips. "Makes me wanna get you inside myself even more!"

The creep was onto him in a second, his clawed fingers digging deep into Kacchan's arms. Some kind of speed Quirk? Or maybe an animal-based one? Didn't matter shit. He would just blow the bastard up.

Swatting his hands off, Katsuki pressed both of his palms into the fucker's face and willed it to explode. The body fell limp and the creep collapsed onto the ground. Having checked the pulse amd made sure he was still alive, Katsuki scoffed, " Next time pick someone you can actually handle."

He dialed the police and sat nearby, waiting for them to take the guy to jail. Heh, who knows, maybe he would get on the news and score another point on his way to becoming the world's top hero.

"You certainly are the one for me~!"

What? Katsuki moved to take the guy down again but he was too slow. A wet sickening sound cut through the air as the creep pushed his hand through the blonde's chest. He could feel the blood spread around the wound and soak his clothes. And yet, despite the burning pain, his mind still refused to accept that he was stabbed just like that.

"It's been so long since I played around in your world," the creep's smile grew wider - much wider than a human smile should have. The skin around his mouth and eyes started cracking all over, the blood running down the man's face. "I have completely worn this meatsuit out, you see?"

The guy before him rotted away in seconds and turned to dust.

Only the wisps of black and red remained standing before him.

_**"Now... Let's try your out!"**_

**Z**

Izuku got off the train, frustrated and upset. He had spent an entire day riding the train and why? Because he hoped to get in contact with Wizard? To somehow prove to the old man he deserved another chance? Just how sad was that?

Maybe that was the thing: He simply refused to accept he was unworthy. The gruesome vision that the Wizard had shown him still haunted him during the nights. Was he really so blind to his own flaws? Was he really so sure he would never abuse power if given a chance? He had spent the entire week wondering what kind of person he even was.

Was he a good but Quirkless kid? Or was he a good kid because he had no Quirk?

Would he still hate Kacchan's bullying if he wasn't the target? If he developed a strong enough Quirk at the same time as Kacchan, would they remain friends? If they did, would he oppose him or would he just fall in line with the rest of his cronies?

"Tch, not that it matters," He blew his chance to be a Champion and a hero. Best he could do was just stop thinking about it. "I guess I should just go home."

His life wasn't over, right? He still could be... someone. He just to find some other dream and focus on it instead. Yes, that was the only sensible thing for him to do. Hurt a bit now. Move on. And live a happy life.

Izuku was shaken out of his thoughts by a rough shove and hurried apology. Looking around, Izuku saw numerous people running towards and away from something further down the street. Judging by how the ones running to the danger were mostly people with cameras, Izuku had only one guess, 'Must be a villain attack!'

A loud roar cut through the air, followed by the blood-curdling scream. Something felt wrong. Izuku could feel something in the air - something he felt just a few weeks ago. Thick and potent, he could feel it grow stronger with each passing second. There was no mistaking it: it was magic.

Afainst his better judgement, Izuku ran towards the source of it.

When he arrived at the scene, he could barely see anything past smoke and fire. Despite the growing crowd of people, the only two sounds on the street were the crackling of fire and sickening laughter of the madman responsible for all the destruction. Once he pushed his way to the front, Izuku's eyes widened as he recognized the two faces locked in a fight.

On one side stood Kacchan, his form warped into something inhumane. Taller and lankier, thick red veins running all across his dark flesh, the teen's four eyes shone with delight as he wrecked chaos and destruction. And opposite of him stood the Wizard, the lightning crackling around his body as he tried to get the unconscious heroes out of here.

An opportunity theblonde used to strike the man in the back with his claws. The lightning surged back and attacked him but it was clearly not enough to hurt him as much as he did the Wizard.

_**"You have grown weaker, Sorcerer. Once upon a time, that lightning of yours would fry me with a single touch,"** _Kacchan - the monster possessing him - cackled as he stomped down onto the old man. _**"You have spent all these years searching for a new Champion - someone of Pure Heart - who would stop us. And now you will die and leave this weak and defenseless world to us. I almost wish I could keep you alive to see that."**_

The monster raised its clawed hand, the sphere of crimson and black forming above it.

**_"Sat hi to the rest of the Countil for me."_**

The crowd behind him screamed and ran. He had to run. He had to run!

So why couldn't he move?

Why... was he running towards them?

"Kacchan! Kacchan, snap out of it," he picked up the nearby staff, what must have belonged to one of the heroes. "I know you can do it, Kacchan! Whoever is controlling you, I know that you are stronger than them!"

Why was he doing this? Why was he trying to fight the battle he knew he could not win?

Because that was the only right thing he could do. He hated Kacchan for years of bullying. And he hated the Wizard for rejecting him without giving him a chance. But he couldn't just stand there and watch them die. He just couldn't do it!

Kacchan turned away from the Wizard and stared him down, eyes slowly narrowing in recognition. _**"So you are that 'Deku' my meatsuit kept ranting about? What a pleasure to meet you,"**_ the polite and cheery tone clashed with the savage grin and sharp teeth. _**"Unfortunately, your little friend is not strong enough to resist my control. But hey, at least, he gets to do what he has always wanted..."**_

With a grin, the monster smacked Izuku away like a fly. He crashed into the nearby wall, instantly feeling his broken ribs.

**_"To kill you!"_**

The monster cackled as he summoned another sphere of flames. Izuku's vision swam as he watched the blonde approach him with the merciless grin. It couldn't have ended like that. Did he throw his life away for nothing? Izuku couldn't help but chuckle bitterly at the irony. His first attempt to be a hero... And he was going to die without actually changing anything.

Izuku closed his eyes, " I am so sorry, mom... I am so sorry..."

_"Get back!" _The thunderous voice roared and Kacchan was blasted with the stream of lightning and fire. Unlike before, the monster cried out in pain as it found itself trapped within the electrical prison. While the monster tried to break out, the Wizard walked over to Izuku, his expression heavy and somber. _"Young Midoriya... Your world has run out of time. The seaks have been broken... The ancient evils are out in your world."_

"B-But what can I do?" Izuku's eyes sank to the ground. "I-I... I am not worthy."

_"You are not," _the Wizard said somberly._ "You are not pure of heart. You are flawed like all the other humans I have tested. But right now... Right now I have no choice but to trust you. You have been chosen by the spell for the first time, so you must have _some_ good inside you. I just hope that it will be enough."_

There was no other choice. Whoever controlled Kacchan, he was strong. And judging by his words, he was only tip of the iceberg. Neither him nor the Wizard had any other choice in this situation.

**"Hey, you worthless little human!"** the monster in Kacchan's body hissed against his restraints. Izuku could see the bindings weaken. _**"If you take that power, I will torture your soul for the rest of eternity! Neither you nor your mother will be safe from me! I will put you through the Hell and make you beg for death!"**_

He ignored the demon and, shaking and trembling, he got onto his feet.

_"And you think I am bad news? Wait till the others learn about you! They will not stop at anything until you join the other foolish heroes who opposed us"_

He took a deep breath and placed his hands on the staff as the Wizard channeled his magic into it.

_"Izuku Midoriya... As the last survivor of the Council of Eternity, I choose you as the Champion of the Gods and this realm's protector,__" _the Wizard's voice echoed and drowned out the threats of the monster. _"With the Speed of Savitr, the Courage of Horus, the Wisdom of Anahit, the Power of Zeus, the Guidance of Amaterasu of the Strength of Magni, you are this world's Mightiest Mortal!"_

He saw them. He the Gods tower above him. One by one, they came down to them and entered his body, mind and soul.

_"Say my name, Izuku Midoriya..." _The Wizard himself started fading away into the staff Izuku was holding onto. Only his voice remained. The true name of the Wizard appeared in his mind a second later._ "Say my name and accept the power of the Gods and your role as their Champion!"_

The monster broke free from his cage. His eyes ablaze with rage and hands aflame with the orbs of black flames, he charged at them as fast as he could.

But not before he could say the word.

**"SHAZAM!"**

The skies roared as the lightning struck down the very ground he stood. The violent currents of air raged through the streets, extinguishing the fire and pushing the demon away. Izuku opened his eyes and realized that he didn't feel pain or fatigue anymore. Not only were his ribs no longer broken, but he felt better than he could even imagine. Better than it should have been possible.

He also stood much taller now.

**_"So that old man managed to pass down his power, huh. Well, too bad he didn't teach you a thing about how to use it."_**

Izuku saw the gireball coming at him at alarming speed. He closed his eye in fear and braced himself for the impact... Only to not feel a thing. Opening his eyes, he saw the remaining whispers of the fire that dispersed almost immediately after hitting him. Was this the power of the Gods? He was invulnerable?

**_"Don't look so smug about it, you cretin!"_** The demon roared as he started throwing one fireball after another at Izuku. And while none of them hurt, Izuku couldn't just keep taking them. The crowd of people returned and the demon could attack or take someone hostage if Izuku didn't stop him now. Izuku dodged another fireball and charged at the demon. _**"Aargh!"**_

At the neck-breaking speed. What Izuku intended to be a tackle ended up being a full-scale slam-attack. Like a train, he smashed into the demon and stopped only after sending the guy good five feet back. He had superspeed too? Must have been Speed of Savitr the Wizard mentioned.

_**"Y-You bastard..." the demon rose, his body aflame. "Don't you dare think this is over...!"**_

Kacchan fell on the ground. The demon rose into the air.

_**"If I can't take you down, then I will take over your body instead!" **_

With a horrifyimg scream, the demon descended upon him. He tried to get him away but to no avail. He could feel the demon enter his soul and his mind, clawing his way through his memories and thoughts. Searching for ways to eploit him. To make him submit his free will to the demon's control.

And he found plenty of those.

Every single day Izuku suffered. Every single humiliation he was put through. Every single night he cried himself to sleep in impotent rage. All of it was being dragged out of the deepest parts of his mind. Each and every painful traumatic memory, Izuku had to live through it all over again.

**_"Why are you even fighting me? For those people?"_** the demon sneered. _**"They are the reason why you suffer. Their indifference and hatred towards the Quirkless like you is the reason why you were bullied and tormented like that. Give in, child... Give in and do what you know you always wanted... Make all of them pay. Once and for all!"**_

He had imagined it. So many damn times, Izuku imagined himself in the position of power. He wanted to make all of his bullies pay. Put them and everyone who ignored his torment through the same horrible treatment he had been put. To show them what it felt like to be defenseless. To be weak. To be afraid.

_**"Yes! Yes! Work alongside us and you will make them all pay! Together with the Seven, you will make everyone regret ever crossing you! Ever hurting you! You will show them what it felt like to be you!"**_

"... Thanks. But no."

_**"What?! Are you saying you forgive them? After all they have done to you?"**_

Izuku shook his head.

"I don't think I could ever forgive any of them... I still hate my bullies. I hate them more than I have ever hated anyone... But I am not going to have them control my life anymore," Izuku whispered as he focused on the feeling in his chest. So strong and yet calm, the storm ready to burst. "As for you, demon..."

He spread his arms and willed the lightning inside of him to burst free.

"Begone!"

He could hear the demon beg for mercy inside his head. But he knew it was a ruse and a trap. Demons didn't die. They couldn't die, period. But now he was sent back to the world he escaped from and wouldn't come back anytime soon. The demon was banished. The fire was put out and the smoke cleared from all the wind. Now, all he needed to do was check on the injured ones and-

"Oh my God!"

"Dude, that was so awesome!"

"What's your name, sir? Are you the new hero?"

In an instant, Izuku was surrounded b the crowd. Cameras flashed in his face and people talked excitedly into their phones as they stood next to him. What was his name? Where did he graduate from? What was his Quirk? The questions came at him from all directionsm drowing him in the noises and lights. One of the voices - he presumed it to be the Anahit - told him that the most logical thing to do was talk to the people and soothe their worries.

Unfortunately, by the time she had given such advice, Izuku was already in the sky. The shock of being able to fly was pushed back as he focused solely on getting away from the paparazzi and any heroes who could grow suspicious of him. As he flew away from the crowd, his ears still picked up on the words exchanged, even in whispers.

Who was he?

What was his power?

And what was he going to do next?

* * *

**And there you have it, folks. The first chapter in the story of Izuku as the world's Mightiest Mortal. Will he go to UA or skip it? What powers he has now that I changed the roster of Gods for him? Throw your thoughts, suggestions and ideas in that review box! **

**I am really excited in what you have to say about this chapter. And hope to engage in some long discussion with some of you guys. **

**Till next chapter! **


	2. Chapter 2: Heroic Beginnings

**Here we go!**

* * *

Before there were Quirks, there was magic. The power to harness the energy hidden between the layers of existence and shape the very reality around oneself. It wasn't good. It wasn't bad. It simply was. And only the way one used this power would determine its alignment.

And it was the Gods who observed and judged its use.

_"We must replace him."_ Horus spoke, his gaze - though unseen behind the hawk mask he wore - judging the chosen Champion. _"He is not worthy of our power."_

The world was such a different place now. Anahit could still remember the days when people were ever so few and so much weaker. When the feats they were now capable of thanks to these Quirks would easily make many see them as Gods such as their group.

Much has changed indeed.

And yet so many things remained the same.

_"They are worshipping him,"_ Magni said, eyes hard as they watched another debate on their Champion's first appearance. No surprise there to any of them. The Champions were blessed with their power and so would always attract attention. _"Though it appears none of them suspect his true nature."_

And why would they? They have been gone from mortal realm for thousands of years by now. Humanity could keep believing in something only for so long before even the greatest of truths became myths and fairy tales. Their pantheons left the humanity long time ago to its own devices and chose to stay in the shadows, having sealed their magic away from the people.

Now humanity had found new Gods in their Heroes.

Before the Heroes and Quirks, there was Magic and Champions. Either by the blessing of a God or by the deal with a Devil. By stumbling upon a holy weapon or a cursed tool. There were countless mortals that gained the power so far above and beyond what their kind was capable of. Some of them were hailed as Champions. Some were cursed in dying moments as Monsters.

Gods were different, however. Right or Wrong. Good or Evil. None of that mattered when it came to Gods. Because whether you were the God of Creation and Life or the God of Destruction and Death, you were still a God.

And Gods were always worshipped.

_"He is no God though,"_ her voice cut through the room. _"This boy is humbled by his experiences. He knows what it's like to find oneself a victim of someone with power. Why would he emulate his abusers?"_

_"Why? Because he is a mortal, Anahit,"_ Horus argued. _"They always change depending on their position. Depending on how much power over their fellow mortals they have. The Wizard was supposed to find the candidate with a Pure Heart. One that could never be corrupted by any of the Sins."_

_"And now the Wizard is dead,"_ Amaterasu's eyes remained closed, her silky voice betraying her own frustration. _"We have waited for thousands of years searching for one Pure Heart and found nothing. All the while the seals that contain the dark forces grew weak and frail. Perhaps, were our criteria more lenient or were we willing to invest time and effort into potential candidates, we would not be having this argument. The wolrd would not be at risk."_

Anahit agreed with her fellow Goddess. Up until a few weeks ago, she too wanted a perfect human being to bear the mantle of their Champion. A mortal born and raised with the Brave Soul and Pure Heart was something they all desired after the Fallen Champion. But the death of the Wizard whom she had considered a dear friend after all these centuries made her question herself.

Could it be that the last Champion fell to the darkness not because he was not good enough but because they failed to prepare him properly? The ordeal - the life - of those chosen by them was not an easy one. The demon their newest Champion faced was but a child by their standards. A bratty offspring that held no candle to those with more power. Those with more knowledge and experience. Those that he would have to fight in the future.

_"So what do you suggest then, Amaterasu?"_ Savitr asked, his eyes not leaving the boy as he fought another one of the villains of modern age. _"I agree that we cannot waste another centuriy looking for the mortal of Pure Heart. But how can we guarantee that, even with our guidance and training, he will not fall?"_

Anahit sincerely wished they could simply glance inside their new Champion's mind and soul and be done with it. But even the Gods such as them had limits and laws. The ability to interact with the mortal world through their Champions came with the condition of said Champion retaining their free will and keeping their mind away from any of their influence.

_"I propose a test."_

All eyes turned to Zeus.

The God of Sky and Thunder spoke, his voice booming through the room.

_"We shall test this mortal and see if he is worthy. Should he succeed, we shall train him in ways we failed to provide for his predecessors."_

_"And if he fails?"_ Anahit asked. _"We cannot remove his power as easily now that it ran through his blood."_

That was the same reason why they couldn't strip the Fallen Champion of his power. Magic worked in ways even they sometimes struggled to understand. They might have been Gods but even they could not change the way it worked. They could take away some of their blessings. The Champion would lose the the gifts and blessings of Gods. But their connection to magic - the very source of it - would remain with them until their dying breath.

_"What shall we do should he fail our test?"_

Without hesitation came the answer.

_"What we always do, Anahit,"_ Zeus said, his voice heavy but confident. _"What we have to do."_

S

Izuku was never much of a social person. He liked to talk to others, don't get him wrong. It's just that the others weren't particularly fond of him. They weren't as bad as Kacchan. They didn't insult or bully him unless the blonde was around to start it. And for the past month that his former friend had spent recovering in a hospital, some of his classmates were even friendly.

"So did you see the video? This dude is awesome!"

"Heard he took on Terror Trio last week. He kicked their asses like nothing!"

"When are they releasing his official merch already?"

If only they weren't talking about his other self so damn much.

Izuku was a huge hero fan, he would burn bright red but still admit it. And every time someone wanted to talk about heroes and Quirks and whatnot, Izuku would always be eager to join the discussion.

Until the new hero Shazam - which was him - became the constant topic among all his peers.

It was flattering, he wouldn't lie. For so long, he dreamed of becoming a hero despite him being Quirkless. And now he had the power to make his dream a reality. Over the last two weeks, he took time to test and study all the powers he now had. Some of them he discovered by the careful methodical approach - training in a forest far away from the city. Others he discovered while either fighting villains or running away from heroes.

The latter happened a lot more often than the former, unfortunately.

He looked down at the page in his notebook, going through the list of powers and limits found.

He was strong enough to lift and carry two school buses out of the river with no difficulty. The fact that none of them collapsed under their own weight in his hands hinted at some magic involved in it. Could he perhaps negate some aspects of physics witout willing to do so? He thought back to the last Friday when he stood between the grou of civilians and some pyrokinetic villain. By all logic, the stream of fire should have gone past him and hurt the people behind. But it didn't.

_I will look into that later._

Next was the speed and flight. He was quite fast - as he found out when running away from Ingenium of all people. He still had yet to test just how fast he could go. And if he could do so without damaging his surroundings. His flight capabilities were just as impressive. He experienced no negative effects on his health as he flew higher and higher into the air. No cold or thin air.

His senses were also amplified. However, Izuku decided not to test their limits for now. In his Champion form, he could safely say that all his senses were working around ten to twenty per cent better than average person. But the very moment he tried to go further, he found himself overwhelmbed by the sheer chaos of experiencing it all. Every single smell, word and thing to see. He experienced it all at once and promtly collapsed back onto his bed unconscious. It was only his luck mom was visiting a friend and didn't find a famous vigilante on her son's bed.

That would be a very difficult conversation to have.

Magic

Finally, there was one last aspect left.

_Magic: ?_

Technically, all his powers came from the Wizard's magic. So far, the closest demonstration of pure magical power was his lightning. Whenever he said the command, the lightning would strike him where he stood. And yet, no burn marks on the floor or the roof through which it went. Until he willed it leave them, that is. Perhaps the lightning bolt was able to change its properties depending on his will.

Next test was his phone. He charged it out of silly curiosity, fully ready to buy a new one once his old one got burnt. Instead, it had remained at full charge since the test. It also was working a bit differently. Faster and better, and yet with some strage feel to itself. He would look into that later.

He still had yet to figure out if lightning was just the easiest element to channel magic through or if it was one of the many elements he could use. The Wizard told him one of the Gods he took power from was Zeus, for example. Though known among most for his lightning bolts (as well as his numerous love affairs), he was also the God of the Sky. Could that mean that Izuku could possibly manipulate wind and sky as well? Could it be that-

"Hey there, Midoriya! How are you?"

Izuku slammed his notebook shut and looked up at the voice in panic. His cheeks grew red from both the sudden noise he made and the fact that he was talking to a girl. And a very pretty one too.

"H-Hi, Mizuhana- san," he stammered, trying to compose himself. Even as he wondered how long she was standing near him. How much he saw in his notes. Judging by how her long blue hair moved in small waves, she was simply amused by him. Not angry or offended. "H-How, uh... May I help you with something?"

"You are a bit of a hero fanatic, right?"

Fan. Fanatic sounded a bit too much. "S-Sure, why?"

"What do you know about Shazam?"

Of course it was her question. He couldn't pretend to not know about him - that would instantly raise everyone's suspicions.

He was one of the most discussed topics right now. Izuku hated to brag but his exploits earned him a good deal of fame among the population. If he were any other hero, the hype would die down in a few days after his debut. That's how it was for most, after all. Hero makes a debut. Hero holds an interview where they announce their name and some trivia to get people interested. And then it was it.

For Izuku though, there was no press conference or merch announcements. No office or endorsement deals. He saw trouble, said the magic word, dealt with the trouble and then fled the scene before any of the heroes came for him. At the end of the day, Shazam was not an everyday hero.

As much as Izuku wished he was.

"W-Well, he is pretty cool, I guess?" God, why was he getting so embarrassed? Probably because he just complimented himself and it made him feel like an ass. "It's a shame that he is doing it illegally though."

"I don't know," Mizuhana-san giggled. "I think it's pretty cool. You know, just like in those old comics before Quirks? Nobody knows his real identity. He isn't playing by anyone's rules but his own. He is just... doing it for the sake of doing it. No money or fame, just because he wants to help people."

"True, but it's not like it is good for everyone," Izuku countered. The topic of heroes getting money from anything besides government pay has been a long-time debate among the population. Was it right for the heroes to earn money by selling rights to their image or starring in commercials? "I mean, he is great and all, but it's not like he doesn't leave any damage after his fights. Take the Terror Trio for example."

The Terror Trio were triplets with the power of Teleportation, Telepathy and Telekinesis. The three also had the unique condition that allowed them to swap Quirks between each other. He discovered his vulnerability to telepathy that day. He wasn't fully under control thanks to the magic. But he crashed into more than one building before apprehending the three.

"What about them?" she asked in confusion. "Those three were running crazy through the city and then boom, Shazam just tossed them into jail."

"While also damaging three houses, five shops and tearing down a portion of the street," Izuku counted off his mind. "Sure, the city is going to cover the cost of the damages caused by the fight and some of the shops definitely had insurance for that. But that doesn't change the fact that Shazam could help the situation better if he were registered."

There were laws regarding the collateral damage done by heroes. It was inevitable, everyone accepted that. But people also recognized that, in some cases, the damage could be avoided. Suppose you were a hero chasing a group of villains on the bridge. To make sure they cannot escape, you proceed blow up the portion of the bridge cutting their escape route off. Criminals are stopped and their loot is retrieved.

Except now there is a damaged bridge that many civilians use on daily basis.

After the incidents involving a certain amount in damages, the special committee would examine the case. Was the decision the only one available at the moment? If a hero failed to stop villains, does the potential damage justify costs incurred? If the committee found the hero guilty, then it would fall to said hero and his office to compensate the resulting damage.

"I know one of the shop owners there," Izuku said sadly. Muyashi-san was an old man running the small diner with his daughter. Theirs was one of the shops he crashed into because he was too reckless. "They don't have any insurance. I heard they might close down the shop because of the damage."

The day was saved. And the criminals were behind bars. Izuku felt pretty happy about it. Up until he found the familiar face of Muyashi-san struggling to keep up his smile. If he had more training, could he handle the Trio better? If he were professional, he could even reimburse them out of his own pocket.

But he wasn't.

"I-I didn't know about that," Mizuhana-san said awkwardly. It was clear that she hadn't thought of that before. Then again, people rarely did. It didn't make them bad or stupid. It was just natural for people to try and focus on more positive parts of the situation. "I hope they will recover."

So did he.

He wasn't sure how but he would help. There had to be some way he could make things right.

"Hey, wanna go out and eat after school?"

W-What?

His brain crashed. Luckily, he could count on his mouth to produce a coherent and good response.

"W-What?"

Or not. Shit.

"Come on, I think our class could use some bonding!" she smiled, eyes shining and eager. "Don't you think so too?"

Bonding with the class? He had long since given up on the idea. And why wouldn't he? He was a shy and awkward person. And him being a Quirkless kid with the dream of being a hero only painted a bigger target on his back. Nobody wanted to be friends with him before.

So what changed now?

He looked into the girl's eyes, looking for a sign of deceit but found only sincerity. She sincerely wanted him to come. Though why, he couldn't understand. As he looked deeper, he noticed something else. Something oddly familiar and yet not anything he could put his finger on.

"Sure, let's go after school then."

What's the worst thing that could happen?

S

Him and his big mouth...

"Come on, Midoriya! It wasn't so bad!"

He knew he should have stayed home.

"Not that bad? Are you kidding me? This guy totally sucked!"

Izuku winced as Hakatto - the boy with shark-like teeth - jeered, However, there was no ill will in his words and Izuku found himself only awakrdly blushing at that. As his classmates exited the karaoke bar, he wondered if his life always had the chance to be like this.

After they ate at the local ramen shop, someone suggested a quick karaoke visit since this was the end of the week and all. Despite his doubts, Izuku agreed and went along. He expected a lot of things. He expected it all to be revealed as some sick prank on him. Or that his classmates would find him boring and leave. Instead, all of them had a relatively normal and fun night.

Which is why he still couldn't help but feel something wrong.

It was always Kacchan that bullied or insulted him. But none of his classmates were ever as friendly as they were today. Most of the time, they would at best ignore him. Pay him no mind as if he didn't exist.

"Hey, Midoriya, what's wrong?" Fuuka asked as they went into the tunnel, a shortcut to the nearest station. "You look a little pale."

So what changed now? Nothing. Just because Kacchan wasn't around didn't mean anything. There was absolutely no reason for them to be so nice to him. It might have sounded cynical but people didn't change their opinion of you out of nowhere just like that. Which could mean only one thing.

"Maybe we should help you out."

The way Mizuhana-san said it confirmed his suspicions. He fell to the ground, avoiding a bottle to the head. Hakatto kicked him in the stomach but Izuku caught his leg and dragged him onto the ground with him. The bigger boy pinned hi down and opened his mouth, his Quirk making his teeth grow three times bigger and sharper. "Should have taken the hit to the head, it would hurt less!"

With an ugly grin and burning red eyes, the boy buried his teeth in Izuku's shoulder. He moved just in time - the boy was aiming for his neck. the others were coming closer, their own teeth bared and ready to sink into his flesh. No good. He looked around, eyes latching onto the surveillance cameras around. Six in total. His hand gripped Hakatto's neck from behind, keeping him from running away.

_**"Shazam!"**_

In a flash of lightning and with the roar of thunder, Izuku transformed back into the form of the champion. The red of the suit, the white of the cape and the silver of the lightning bolt on his chest shone in the dark of the tunnel. His light was faint and small, but it was enough to make the creatures possessing his classmates growl and hiss.

All except one.

"My, my, no wonder the little one was so impatient," Mizuhana-san smiled, eyes burning the same hateful red. "So, Midoriya-san, what gave us away?"

"Mizuhana-san is a friendly and outgoing person who always tries to connect with others," Izuku said as he observed his classmates and their stances. There were nine of them in total. Each one possessed a Quirk, some more useful and combat-oriented than others. Though that mattered little when they had demons amplifying their powers. "You picked the person to possess well. You just layed it on a little too thick."

Mizuhana-san was one of the friendlier people in his class. Though that hardly meant anything when it came to him. She wasn't a bully. She didn't harass or insult him like most of the class did. But she was apathetic towards him at best. To have her suddenly show interest and want him around was just way too out of character. For both her and the rest of the people gathered.

"You confirmed the my suspicions when I said I still planned to go to UA back during the dinner," Izuku said, eyeing the possessed girl before him. When he said that he still planned to become a hero, they cheered him on. No mockery. No ridicule. Only words of encouragement and support. "When you said you believed in my dream, I knew there was something wrong with you."

It was cynical. But it didn't make it any less true: His classmates didn't believe in his dreams.

"Then why drag this all out?" Mizuhana asked, the dark magical power seeping into the air around her. Her silky blue hair turned crimson and spiky as she grinned at him like a predator. "Why even agree to come with us if you had such suspicions?"

Indeed why? Izuku knew from the day he fought that monster that it wouldn't be an isolated incident. If there were Gods and Magic, then there were definitely Monsters and Demons. And if what the Wizard told him was true - that the evil was sealed by the Gods and the previous Champion - then those who were imprisoned were out for revenge, It was only a matter of time before someone came after him and his power.

So why put himself at such risk?

"I guess I hoped to be wrong," Izuku admitted. eyes downcast. "I wanted to believe that my classmates finally wanted me around."

"Do you hate them?" the demon possessing Fuuka asked innocently. "Does it not fill you with rage? The fact that they look down on you even when you have the power of Gods at your command? Do you not wish to use it and show them all how strong you are now?"

He took a deep breath and sighed.

"I do," he could see their eyes narrow in delight. Their cruel twisted smiles enjoying his words. "But that doesn't mean I am going to do any of that."

Izuku accepted that he wasn't a perfect person. That he didn't have the Pure Heart the Wizard was after. That he had bad days and foul moods. But none of that meant he was going to use his powers for anything like that.

"The Wizard chose me because he believed I could be the Champion he wanted. And I will prove he was right to do so," he never had anyone put faith in him. He was not going to fail the one person that did. "So leave my classmates out of this..."

His eyes crackled with lightning.

"... and fight me, you cowards."

All seven of them looked at each other... before bursting into laughter. Not what he expected, to be honest.

"And why would we do that, young Champion?" Mizuhana-san's demon asked. "It's true that we cannot use our powers properly in these meatbags. But it also means that your lightning does not harm us as badly as it normally would. So why should we leave these meatbags and lose our advantage against you?"

Izuku stood still. He had no answer to that.

"If you have nothing more to say, then fight!" with a guttural growl, Mizuhana willed her hair to attack him. Shaped into blades and blunt weapons, they crashed into Izuku's crossed arms and pushed him back. Just as Akatsuchi and Shion attacked him from behind with lava-covered fist and a miniature ball of fire. He hissed in pain before pushing them away. Grabbing Mizuhana's hair, he lifted her off the ground before throwing the girl at the two classmates behind. Despite crashing into them, the demon laughed. "Holding back, Champion. Too afraid to hurt your classmates?"

Three more attack him from different sides. Wind, light and blades by themselves were little more than annoyance. But infused with demonic energy, they could actually hurt him.

He couldn't remain on defense the entire time.

But he couldn't use his powers and hurt people like that. He had no great love for his class but he didn't want to risk their lives either.

There had to be another way out of this.

"Think fast!" all nine attacked at once. Izuku watched their attacks, dodging while trying to notice something that would help him find the solution. The way to defeat them without hurting his classmates. All their attacks, every single shot and throw and punch and kick. Finally, he found it. Or thought that he did. "You are done for, Champion!"

Hakkato lunged at him, eyes wild and teeth ready to sink into his flesh. Izuku caught him mid-air, twisted him around in his arms. He raised his hand, willing the lightning cover it like a glove. He knew it was a risk and he hated taking one that big. But if Kacchan's stay at the hospital was any indication, demons actively using one's body had very harmful effect on the host.

And the longer they fought, the more dangerous it became for his classmates.

"W-What are you doing, human?" Hakkato growled as Izuku pushed his lightning-coated arm against his chest. Izuku closed his eyes and tried to focus on the faint black wisps of smoke that seemed to come from the boy. "Y-You freaking psycho! You think you can pull this stuff off without an actual spell? You will damage this soul! Break it! Destroy it!"

Izuku smiled as he finally caught it.

"Will I though?"

His fingers dug into the shadowy flesh and held it tight. Hattako's body went still as Izuku began to pull the demon out of him. With one final grunt, the two were finally separated from each other. His eyes burning bright with lightning, Izuku amplified the lightning in his hands and sent volts of magical power through his body until he faded away.

Gently placing the unconscious and thankfully unharmed boy onto the ground, Izuku stood before the remaining eight.

"So... Who is next?"

It was only when he turned to look at the possessed classmates that he realized that something was wrong. They appeared taller and didn't look intimidated or ready to fight. His hand - thin and small - pointed at them but with no magic coursing through it. He was back to his human form. Powerless and defenseless.

"What the-"

He didn't get to finish, Mizuhana using his confusion to wrap her hair around him. Her grip on him tightened enough to crack a few ribs. "You separated a demon from a mortal host. No spell or rune or potion, too. Qute impressive for someone your age and without any experience. Too bad that your lack of the latter means you dissipated your own power."

W-What? How?

"I see you are confused. And scared," she gave him a condescending smile. "It's not too late for you, however."

One by one, the rest of the group left their hosts. His classmates' bodies dropped onto the cold ground and in their place eight demons of different shapes and forms stood. Mizuhana's looked like a serpent with wings and thin skeleton-like arms. Her thick swamp green tail wrapped itself around his neck immediately.

"Let us in, Midoriya," she hissed, eyes burning gold. "Let us in and we shall allow you to live."

"W-Why would I do that?" he said through choking. "You will just... Go out and hurt more people. I-I won't be a part of this."

"Whoever said we wished to hurt all the people? Just a few," she said sincerely. Somehow, he could tell she was being honest with him. "If you wanted, we could even go after only the bad guys. Unlike the Gods, we don't require worship or obedience. Just some violence and entertainment. Does that sound like a good deal to you?"

"Nghhh," Izuku glared at the snakewoman. "Do I look like an idiot? You took over my classmates and tried to kill me! Why would I trust a word you say?"

"So you prefer death?"

He stared her dead in the eyes. He was afraid. Hell, who wouldn't be? It was easy to act brave when there was no danger. Easy to imagine scenarios of hypothetical turmoil and how you would ignore any fears and doubts and emerge victorious. But this wasn't a hypothetical situation. Not a dream scenario. But harsh and merciless reality.

And the reality was such: he refused to sacrifice others just to survive.

"I do. Go ahead. Kill me."

He wished he didn't cry. Wished he could stare the demon down. Show her he wasn't afraid of death.

But in the end, without powers, what was he if not a Quirkless kid?

"As you wish," the demon smiled. "Goodbye, Champion!"

She bared her fangs and lunged at him.

She turned to dust before she could reach him.

Izuku fell to the ground and watched in shock as the rest of the demons faded away into nothing. His surprise and confusion only grew as he realized he was no longer in the dark of the tunnel.

"The throne room..."

The cold snow white stone and faint blue light was all that surrounded him.

_"Izuku Midoriya,"_ the booming voice called for him from behind. _"We have been watching you"_

There, above the seven empty broken thrones, stood the six Gods who granted him his powers. Savitr, Horus, Anahit, Zeus, Amaterasu and Magni. He tried to find as much as he could on each and every one of them the moment he got home all those weeks ago. All of them were Gods of different Pantheons, brought together by the purpose unknown.

And they just said they have been watching him all this time.

Joy.

_"You are the first mortal we have granted our blessings after thousands of years searching,"_ Horus spoke, his eyes shining gold and silver from behind the golden mask. _"The Wizard chose you because he sensed the potential inside you. The potential no bigger or smaller than in hundreds of thousands other mortals we judged before."_

Those eyes bore into Izuku, staring right into his soul.

_"You were chosen due to lack of better options and time. Not your own merit."_

Izuku winced, unable to disagree. He knew that was true. That he couldn't argue he deserved the power of the Gods. All he could do now was try and prove he wasn't the wrong choice. That the Wizard didn't make a mistake in his decision.

_"Which is why we decided to test you,"_ this time, it was a man in white robes with the staff of gold and lightning in the eyes. _"To see if you truly deserved our blessings. The title of our Champion."_

_"You showed your Humility in refusing to accept the worship of other mortals whereas more prideful would fall. You showed Diligence in your training when you could slothfully rely on your new powers. You showed Temperance in still deciding to remain human instead of gluttonously indulging in your newfound Godhood." _Anahit praised him and Izuku found himself smiling softly. _"You showed Patience in giving your classmates a chance instead of giving in to your wrath. You showed Charity in doing things that are not your responsibility even with more avaricious ways open. You showed Kindness when envy could rule you instead. And you keep your soul chaste instead of growing lustful."_

_"Those are the qualities a worthy mortal should have. You are not entirely pure, however," _Savitr spoke. _"Though all good my fellow Goddess said are no less true, you still harbor the Sins inside your heart. You always have."_

_"You have always envied your classmates. Always hated them for having what you did not. Always wanted more than you had or possibly needed. Always lusted after that Quirk when you had the power to train and achieve it on your own merit. But you were content with your own sloth and pride unaware and told yourself it was just how things were." _the woman in white and red kimono, the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, spoke judgementally. "_Though you have proven yourself above the Seven Sins to us, they still remain within you. Always remember that._"

"I will," he whispered. _"_I know I am not perfect. And if you ever think that I am too dangerous to wield this power, then I don't see why you shouldn't take them away."

_"Only we wouldn't take just your powers, mortal,"_ Magni looked down at him, eyes heavy with warning. _"Once you have let the power of Gods course through you, they are not that easy to remove. Do you know why if the lightning were to strike anyone but you, it wouldn't work? That's because it is bonded with your soul. Your very being, human. Separating the magic from one's score is not an easy feat. Especially when it is God's blessing. If you were to turn evil and we needed you removed, then-"_

"You would have to kill me," Izuku whispered, refusing to meet their eyes. "There would be no other way other than killing me."

_"There would be none,"_ Anahit said somberly. _"You must understand, the power we granted you will keep growing with experience and time. And our ability to influence the mortal world is severely weakened now that the Wizard has fallen. Were you tot turn against the light - against the people we swore to protect - there would be no one who could stop you."_

"I- I understand," he choked out. It was not easy for mortals to admit their own mortality. Very few liked to think of just how fragile they were. Of how fleeting life was for them. "... I-I... Would you allow me to say my last goodbyes?"

_"Yes,"_ Horus spoke firmly. _"Provided that you still had loved ones to speak those to."_

Anahit glared at the masked God. As harsh as he was, however, he was not wrong in his words. Power changed people. Destroyed bonds and warped perception of love and loyalty. Were this new Champion to fall, even they didn't know if his heart would still have people in it.

_"With the exception of Zeus, all of us have cast our votes, Izuku Midoriya," _Anahit has spoken, her voice soothing and calm. _"And though there have been enough arguments as to why we should seek another Champion, I am pleased to say that, for now, you shall remain the one granted our blessings."_

He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. The weight of the world left his shoulders as he slumped back. He was safe. He was going to be a hero! Oh, and he was going to live too!

_"Don't grow lax yet, mortal,"_ Horus glared him down. _"You shall be the first Champion to not only receive our blessings but also our teachings. We usually allow the Champions to learn the craft of magic and sorcery on their own. But it is quite evident we have neither time nor room for such approach. If today's incident proves anything, it is your need for proper training."_

_"Your understanding of magic and its usage is impressive for a mortal of your lineage, but your ability to control it is weak and undeveloped," _Zeus added. _"You showed the innate talent for casting spells today. Now we shall hone your ability to use them properly."_

Zeus nodded to Anahit. The Goddess raised her hand, bringing forth the sphere of light.

_"Your first lesson begins now. Assume the form, Izuku Midoriya."_

With an eager smile and eyes burning bright, Izuku whispered:

**_"SHAZAM!"_**

S

Muyashi Susugawa awoke in the middle of a nightmare.

Wiping off the drool from his face, he looked down at the table before him. Or rather, its contents. Loan plans, papers filled with estimates on how what costs they could cut and how much without losing out on quality of their products. Miyo-chan was sure they could find some way to get back on the feet in time. But the more Susugawa gazed down at the piles of paper, the more he realized.

They were finished.

His store was trashed beyond repair. Right now, the place had a small sign saying they would open soon - a promise he and many others knew he wouldn't be able to make good on. And honestly, what could he possibly do? He had some savings but not nearly enough to repair the crashed wools and fried wiring inside or replace the damaged equipment. He wanted to stay strong for his daughter. What kind of father didn't?

But maybe she would be better off if they cut their losses here and now. Yes, that was probably for the best. They could move in with his sister for the time being. Maybe he would find a new job at some restaurant nearby. Sure, not his own place and not his recipes, but if that kept bread on the table, he would swallow his pride and bear it all.

He just wanted to see his little place one last time.

A sudden flash of lightning ahead caught the man's attention.

No rain or thunder. The air was clean and devoid of any sign of the storm.

_'No, this couldn't be...'_

_**"SHAZAM!"**_

The word was like a knife to his heart. The elderly chef picked up the pace and ran all the way towards his little diner. The place he opened with his wife back when they were but brats. So many memories were made in that place. So many memories would be lost once they closed down for good. All because of some stupid punk hero!

_'What the hell is he doing there anyway?'_

Has he not done enough already? His life was ruined. His dream was dead. His pride as a father and a man would soon be gone as well. What more could that punk want to take from him?

"Stop right there!"

The man actually stopped and turned his way, the hood covering the hero's face. Only his eyes glowing with that cold light.

The adrenaline left his system the moment he looked at the man in red and white. Suddenly, he was no longer feeling so confident in defending his little shop. It would be comedic - a weak old man standing up to a hero with a powerful Quirk over demolished diner. It would be truly comedic if it weren't so stupid. What was he thinking? He was old and powerless. Whatever cameras were here could be fried with a Quirk as powerful as this man's.

He still had a daughter, damn it. Was he really that stupid with pride he would die on her now? Maybe if he asked for forgiveness, he would be allowed to leave? Yes, that made sense. He just had to apologize very sincerely and it would be alright.

"I am so sorry, sir!"

The words were filled with sincere regret. The same kind of shame you would expect from a child apologizing before their parent. Susugawa wouldn't lie if he admitted he was even embarrassed by how much repentance the words contained.

Especially since it was not him who was apologizing.

"I know I have no excuse for putting you in such position," the man bowed low, his forehead touching the ground. "At the time I believed I was doing my best to minimize the collateral damage. I know I should have been more careful though. Please, accept my sincere apologies."

"A-Ah-Apologies accepted, please stand up."

And the man did.

Susugawa stood in shock, eyes not leaving the form of the man before him. The man was easily twice his size, his muscles threatening to rip through the thick red material of his suit. And yet, with his hood pulled back, this boulder of a man looked so vulnerable. Even his eyes reminded him not of a hardened man but rather an upset and lost kid. Yes, those were just like a child's eyes.

"I am really sorry," the man repeated. "Hopefully, this will make up for some of the damage I did."

Before Susugawa could ask what he meant, the hero took off. Up, up and away into the night. The old chef noticed the door into his restaurant was slightly open. Did the man leave something inside for him as an apology? He stepped inside, eyes searching in the dark for the supposed gift. As he rummaged through the dark, he stumbled on one of the chairs and fell forward.

Luckily, he managed to find the wall faster than he did the floor. His hand flipped the switch. To his surprise, the lights were instantly on.

"What in the name of..."

It was back. Everything was back to how it was before. All the broken tables and chairs were now fixed. No, not fixed. His hand touched one of the old wooden tables. It looked and smelled and even felt against his skin just like the day he and Kana bought them. His eyes, refusing to believe the sight before them, sought out more.

As if someone took the diner as it was when he and his wife first opened it together all those years ago. The colors, the lights, the smells and even the warmth that he used to feel in the air. It was all in here.

But how? How could this be possible?

As he sat down at one of the tables, he found a small note.

"Just a little bit of magic," Susugawa read out loud, his lips melting into a soft smile.

The old chef cannot contain his excitement and calls his friends. The fellow old timers, who were worried for his fate for the past few weeks, are quick to try and calm him down when they hear sobbing. It takes a few minutes for him to convince them he is crying from happiness, not grief. And as he plans the reopening of his restaurant and promptly invites his family and close friends, all seems right in the world.

Izuku is far away from the place by now. But he hears it all. He can't help but feel happy with himself now. It was weird, feeling proud over something so small when compared to the fight earlier. But then was the fight against demons, nothing more than necessity. Something that he, if possible, would wish to avoid. But this? Helping out the man with his life? Making things right with his powers?

It felt right.

With the magic word whispered, he changes back into a regular kid and slips inside his bedroom. Tonight, he doesn't spend the night writing down spells and incantations in his notebook. He doesn't have nightmares of losing control or getting caught or stripped of his powers. Instead, as he drifts off into the sweet slumber, he dreams of the future.

The future of the Champion.

* * *

**And there it is, folks! The long-awaited (I hope) continuation of the story! I hope to hear your feedback, thoughts and opinions. Did I make the Gods too judgemental? Did I make Izuku too cynical when distrusting his classmates? **

**Should he join Hero Course or hide in others? Shall he share his power with others?**

**Give me all your thoughts and suggestions in reviews!**

**Hope to post again soon!**


	3. Chapter 3: All Might

**Thank you all for the amazing reviews!**

**Now time to answer the reviews:**

**mastercheif1229: **You asked and you received, my man!

**Fanguy59: **Thanks! Honestly, say what you want about New52! Shazam but at least it acknowledged how impossible it is to be this Pure Heart. I always thought that it is far more inspirational to try and improve yourself as a person rather than the concept of being born Perfect.

**Yohnos: **We'll see about that!

**Hashirama 1710: **This chapter is for you then!

**D3lph0xL0v3r: **Yup! And he will continue to stay on it for as long as he can!

**MIKE202303: **They should have done that sooner. Let's just say, once you got burned on milk, you will blow on water too.

**Airchampion: **Thank you for your kind words! I like writing stories like this a bit differently. I am not a fan of stories where Izuku is basically a copy of Flash or Batman or something and acts only like them. And yeah, as much as I like Izuku being cinnamon roll, I like characters acknowledge their flaws and work through them more.

**underdogking: **Thank you! Yeah, Gods were strict but not unfair. Well, not fully fair, but you get it.

**GodOfCreationUltimateAlienX: **We shall wait and see then (XXX

**PasiveNox: **Thanks, man! Awesome to hear that from you!

**Greyjedi449t:** Here you go! Hope you will like this one too!

**Eminated: **If I remember correctly, Black Adam got his powers because his nephew shared them willingly with him. And then he killed him, right? Regardless, there is no power sharing planned for the near future.

**Johnny Spectre: **Well, yeah. But let's not dwell too much into that. Otherwise, we might start writing Izuku the Godkiller AU since most Gods are jerks in their respective mythologies.

**WILLIAM11:** Tell me about it. The guy just doesn't get the respect he deserves.

**TheSmilingMask: **Man, awesome to see a review from you! Yeah, I am trying to cut down on info dumps I used to write before. Sometimes it just reads better, right? Anyways, looking forward to your review on this chapter!

**dark-feel: **Hmm, a normal high school, you say? Sounds fun))) Maybe I will do just that!

**SentinalSlice: **I will keep up the great work! Hope you will keep up the great readership! Anyways, like your suggestions, guess we will see how they will play out!

**acosta perez jose ramiro: **Love that you liked it! Hope that you will like this one too!

**Turais: **Thanks! And yeah, I was trying to show that, for all their high talk and threats, they were just trying to avoid the mistake they made before. And yeah, as mentioned in the previous chapter, Izuku is not exactly a flawless human being.

**Yo: **Interesting choice! Let's see how this plays out!

**Now... Onto the next chapter!**

* * *

Senpo Sukupu started off her day as usual. High on coffee and down for the fresh news to put her name out there. And nothing sold the papers as well as new heroes. They didn't stay new for long. Within a month, everybody knew Mountain Lady's real name, school, Quirk and preferences in men. Such was the business of pro heroes. They were just as eager to get their names and info out there as she was to fish it out.

Which is why this new vigilante was the blessing in disguise.

Her many colleagues refused to report on him. Nobody wanted to put themselves at the risk of backlash from general public if an article came out as supportive of vigilantism. Poisoning the minds of youth, setting up bad example and other blah and yadda reasons for her to do it. High risk meant high reward. And she was never one to stay in her comfort zone.

Which is why she was here right now, roaming the streets of the city, asking people one simple question.

_"What do you think about this new hero Shazam?"_

_"He is pretty cool, I guess," the teenage girl shrugged as she popped a small piece of candy into her mouth. "Kind of hot."_

Izuku was hot. Hotter than he ever was before.

With its underlings' bodies fading away, the leader of the pack roared and unleashed more of the hellfire. In a whirlpool of ash and brimstone, he was trapped with no way to escape. The surrounding cage of fire burned his flesh and robbed him of strength and breath.

His body was that of a God, the Pantheon said. The flesh in a word only, it would blessed with the same power and gifts any God was. Or rather, it would be once he achieved his full potential as their Champion. He would require no sleep or food. Feel the world around himself as if were a part of himself.

For now though, he was simply the Mightiest Mortal. With the heavy emphasis on the last part.

He called on the power of lightning within. Gathering it inside. Refining its power. Directing said power from his heart to the tips of fingers. And then, with the roar that rivalled the villain's laughter, he released it. The surge of lightning tore through his fiery cage and stopped seconds after. No damage to the nearby electronics or wirings. Good. Much better than his first time.

Before the demon could summon another attack, Izuku slammed his palm against the monster's chest and whispered the words of the spell. A simple seal. One that he had practiced over the past month. The demon's body distorted and twisted into itself until it was but a charcoal with thin red lines running across it. It was a temporary solution to this one running around.

But with the leader sealed, whichever members of its pack escaped would lay dormant. Awaiting their leader or someone of superior power. Which would give him enough time to find where they were hiding and send them back where they all came from.

Another sudden explosion.

Another disaster to stop.

_"He is freaking badass!" a teen with bright orange hair grinned from ear to ear. His friends nearby waved at the camera and echoed the sentiment. "Seriously! The dude is just like the heroes were back in the beginning. Kicking ass. Saving people. And all of that without the need for some stupid license!"_

Izuku never understood Hero v Hero movies.

What was so fun about people on the same side fighting each other? Especially over the things they could easily talk about. Just sit down in their headquarters and discuss them. Really, was that so hard?

"How about we talk about this?"

"How about I shove my fist down your throat and pull out your guts?!"

Turns out it was hard. Very damn hard.

Valor was easily one of the biggest rising stars among the new heroes. He was an expert fighter with a powerful Quirk that allowed him to get stronger with every hit he took. He was also very outspoken on the importance of law, discipline and diligence in his work. In the man's own words, the Alpha Abilities Act was there to set the society on the proper course towards peace and prosperity. Something that the man believed in passionately.

"I will break every single limb of yours and drag you to the nearest jail, you punk."

Very passionately. Because, as far as the man was concerned, Izuku was the vigilante.

And the vigilantes with his kind of power was a loose cannon.

He really should get a license one of these days.

_"Don't take it the wrong way, ma'am," the pro hero Starstrike said as he took off his helmet. "I am sure the guy has his heart in the right place. But you gotta understand, licenses weren't invented out of the need for more red tape. Heroes like me are given licenses because we have the proper training, support network and resources to deal with crime efficiently. There is more to being a hero than just punching bad guys."_

Find the bad guy. Beat the bad guy. Smile for the people and fly to yet another adventure.

When he was a kid, it seemed so simple. And often the times, it was. People were used to villains wrecking havoc. There were drills for different scenarios and countless guides on how to act during the crisis. Not perfect. Not always as effective as they wished. But it did save lives nine times out of ten.

Today was that damned one out of ten when it failed.

"Oh my God, please, help her!"

"The ambulance will be here in fifteen minutes!"

"... I don't think they have that much time"

The crowd was in panic. People lying on the ground, in fever and pain, the webs of black veins running through their bodies. Those who were not affected were no better, kneeling before their loved ones. Holding them tight in a desperate attempt to make them feel safe. Not alone. Not dying.

"M-Mommy... i..." a little girl, no older than nine, coughed up bile and clung to her unconscious mother for dear life. "P-Please... Wake up... M-Moooom!"

"Please, stay with me," he recognized the man as one of their neighbors. By his side, eyes clouded, laid his wife. "Please, don't leave me!"

"Ah... Ahh... I-It's okay, ho-huh... honey," the man craddled his daughter. "Everything is gonna be okay... I promise..."

The air stunk of slowly rotting flesh and bile and puke. But the smell was nothing compared to the screaming. People were crying in pain. They were crying in desperation and anger. For help. For vengeange against the only man who was currently laughing.

"What a shame, huh?" the man grinned from behind his broken helmet even as he himself looked no better than the people he affected. It seemed he wasn't immune to his own Quirk. "Everyone is talking you up as the new All Might, Shazam... And look here! All these people are going to die cause you were such too fucking slow!"

Izuku ignored the man's derisive laughter. He ignored the urge to make this monster pay for what he had done.

All he heard were the pleading words of the people.

And the guiding words of Anahit.

_"Focus, Izuku, we have no room for mistake."_

Anahit was the Goddess of Wisdom. But also that of Healing and Water. Summoning the elements was a basic spell. He couldn't yet turn tides and command oceans and the winds as easily as he did lightning. Manifesting the bubbles of water out of air was within his abilities. But granting it the healing properties was a whole different level.

_"You are still inexperienced. You will need more than the simple infusion of magic,"_ He had no time for days of practice or hours of spellcasting. These people had minutes to leave. He would not fail them. He refused to fail them. _"Make them believe in you."_

One by one, the small bubbles of magic water dropped into the people's open mouths. The entire street fell silent. Men and women. Old and young. They all watched those close to them that were affected. Praying for them to wake up. Only the villain watched Izuku, his expression smug and self-assured. He wasn't a big deal by any means. But with this victory under his belt, he sure would become one soon.

The man's glee grew as one by one the people began to cough and shake. Whoever wasn't affected was going into new and stronger panic as they watched their friends or family members convulse in pain.

"M-Mom...?"

The man turned towards the brat, ready to enjoy the broken expression on her face. Call him a sadistic prick all you like, but there was nothing like the desperation on the face of a child. Only it wasn't what he found. Confusion. Shock. But no pain or grief or- What the hell was in the girl's hand?

"MOM!"

The brat dropped the weird thing onto the ground. He was tied up by that freaking meathead so he could only watch as the small marble filled with weird fog found its way to him. The moment he laid eyes on it, his Quirk reacted to the fog. It was his Quirk, or rather the cloud of poison that his Quirk allowed him to create. His eyes darted around the area, from one affected to another. All of them were healed.

No bulging black veins. No remnants of rot and blood. And all of them had these bloody marbles by their side.

He stared at the panting and exhausted hero in red, his frustration and rage rising to the surface, "What the hell did you just do?" Was this his Quirk? No, he was damn sure it was electricity or some shit. But then how was he so strong and fast? How the hell did he fly? "What the hell are you, you freak?!"

The man smiled down at him.

"Just another hero."

_"He is not a hero. Get your facts straight, kid." _

_The older man scoffed, putting out his cigarette. He hated to have his lunch interrupted. But then again, someone had to speak the truth that the modern youth had trouble facing. _

_"The guy may dress in bright tights and make jokes all he wants, but it doesn't change a damn thing. People like that - vigilantes - are in this for their own amusement or gain. Real heroes don't hide in the shadows from the law. They follow and uphold it. Mark my words, this Shazam is just some lazy thrill junkie with no sense of responsibility."_

"Midoriya-kun, may I speak to you for a second?"

Izuku stopped a single step away from the exit. Some of his classmates chuckled at his nervous expression as he approached the teacher's desk. Koibisihi-sensei was one of the most relaxed and easygoing members of the staff. Which is why, if he ever ask you to stay, that meant you were in serious trouble.

"I-Is everything alright, sensei?"

Was he in any trouble?

"I would hope so," the man said, his voice heavy. "Usually, you are one of my top students in this class. But lately you have been falling asleep in the middle of them or forget to turn in your homework. Tell me, Midoriya-kun, is everything alright at home?"

"I-It is!" he said, with a bit more bite than he intended. He then added in a calmer but still defensive tone, "Mom is taking good care of me."

It was no secret that his dad hasn't been home for almost three years. They still kept in touch, but a husband not visiting his wife and a child in three whole years was still something people noticed. Something that people talked about. In hushed whispers and behind their backs.

"I am sorry," the man bowed in apology. "I didn't mean to imply anything about your family situation. The issue still remains, Midoriya-kun. I am not the only one who noticed it. Your grades might remain quite high, but the rest? Falling asleep during classes? Running out of them or sometimes even skipping them entirely? Just... Just tell me how we might help you."

He doubted they could. Though it was nice to know they cared.

"I guess I wasn't really myself lately," His schoolwork. And then the whole being a hero thing. Dealing with normal villains and heroes was much easier or least more manageable. But the supernatural threats? Those ate up a lot of his time and energy. In some cases, quite literally. "I was just busy preparing for some of the entrance exams lately."

"Really?" Koibishi-sensei's eyes softened slightly. Though they still held the small bits of suspicion. "I guess that makes sense then. I heard from Fuchui-sensei that you are no longer applying for hero course."

"Y-Yeah," he looked down at his feet. He couldn't help but feel just a tiny bit of anger at how relieved the man before him sounded. Logically, he understood that the man would be happy he seemingly gave up on his impossible dream. Though that hardly made him feel better. "I am still planning to go to UA though. Just not one of the hero courses."

The teacher nodded in agreement.

"They do have highly competitive curriculum." Which was largely true. Though there were quite a lot of hero schools that focused solely on the physical aspects of the job, the academies like UA and Shiketsu prided themselves not only their graduates being among the strongest but also the smartest. After all, it was bad for the school's reputation if their former students appeared a bunch of meatheads. "And the people from their Support and Business departments are highly sought after even in non-hero fields too."

Which also made sense. Support items had the requirements such as being durable, easy to handle and carry but also as simple as possible. Meanwhile, Business Department included the courses on such aspects of pro hero work as brand management, accounting and legal. In short, the experience one gained in work with heroes was very valuable among more citizen-oriented companies.

With all that said and done, Izuku left the class. Koibishi-sensei still seemed not fully convinced but, at least, he didn't suspect him of being mixed up in some bad stuff or his home situation being behind his recent problems in class. Heh, if only things were that easy.

Mom would be home soon. She was probably worried as well but didn't say anything. After he dropped off the sealed demons, he should probably buy some of her favorite sweets. And tell her the same thing he told the teacher. He felt bitter, knowing that it would still be a lie. A half-truth that would make her happy. A half-truth that hid the secret that would probably break her heart even more.

She was already worried when she heard he wanted to be a hero. To hear that he gave up on that would probably be a dream come true for her. She would be so happy he wanted to follow a safer career path. And he feared to imagine what she would go through if he told her that he - a fifteen year old was now fighting demons and monsters all the while preparing for the coming of the dark forces sealed away for centuries.

Yeah, he was not having that talk with her anytime soon.

As he left the school grounds, Izuku bumped into someone. A woman in her mid-twenties, dressed in the deep blue suit, her eyes bright with the fire and hunger he was genuinely scared of. And he literally fought off a bunch of demon dogs last night.

"Hi there, kid!" the woman smiled. He noticed the visibly exhausted and frustrated cameraman behind her. A reporter then? Now that he thought about it, wasn't she the one asking people about him lately? "My name is Senko Sukupu, NeoNightNews. Tell us, what do you think of this Shazam everyone's been talking about lately? Do you think he is a hero or a vigilante?"

Izuku looked at the woman, her eyes clearly hungry for some sort of new take. Something new and bright and untapped. Something that would definitely put her name out there, among the greatest reporters of her generation. And she didn't even know that she was talking to the very man she was betting it on.

Unfortunately, she would have to look for that somewhere else.

"I am sorry, who?"

S

Vigilantes.

Before the Alpha Abilities Act was established. Before the proper laws were written and agreed on. Before the order took over the raging chaos. Before the very foundations of the society that they knew today was established, vigilantes were the people the masses sought hope in. They had no official training or backing. No corporations or government ties other than what their civilian identities had.

They were the precursors to heroes of today.

Precursors and only that.

At least, that's what the transfer detective - Sora Mon - told Naomasa.

"I am just saying, if you want to be a hero, you must earn that, right?" the man said as he took another bite of his chicken. Contrary to the rough appearance and gruff voice, Sora was mostly an easygoing and relaxed man. Only when work was involved did he turn strict, serious and sharp. "There is a reason why kids go to schools like UA. To make sure they don't just run around with too much power on their hands."

True enough.

"From the reports we gathered though, he always makes sure to clean up after himself," Naomasa said, even if how still puzzled him. Their team checked countless registries for any of the active or retired heroes with a similar Quirk. Nobody quite fit the description. Or had relatives that did. No DNA evidence was found either, as if it all vanished along with him. "For all we know, the guy came out of nowhere."

The footage they got their hands on was a small help. The clearest photos and videos showed the man with light complexion and green eyes. His dark hair was short and somewhat wavy or curly or spiky, depending on the picture. His height and body also, to their shock varied. In some pictures, he appeared a tad leaner. In others, more muscular. They didn't cross out the possibility Shazam was a shapeshifter of sorts.

With how many powers he had, Naomasa wouldn't be surprised if he was.

"In other words, all we have right now is that he is male, in his early mid-twenties at oldest. Green eyes. Black hair," Sora chuckled humorously "And that, assuming that he is no a shapeshifter, which is a huge possibility."

"It's just like I told you, we have more chances of finding out who he is by looking at the Quirk rather than the face," he took another look at the picture. "Or maybe the shops that deal with making suits for heroes or villains."

Big corporations had their hand in dealing some gear to the criminals, something they were still investigating. But no major company would miss out on the chance to advertise the material such as whatever the hell Shazam's suit was made of. So far, they saw it withstand heat, cold, acid and countless other things that should have left him in rags.

"I am worried about him having several Quirks though."

Naomasa looked at the man before him. They might have been peers but Sora looked so much older, with his tired blue eyes and disheveled grey hair.

"Y-You don't think that he is involved with..."

Naomasa couldn't speak that monster's name. No, he refused to even think that that monster could still be alive. He was there when All Might killed him. He watched the man's dead body buried six feet under where it belonged.

"Wouldn't be the first time he cheated death now, would it?" Sora downed the last of his beer. "Which is why I told him about my suspicions."

What?

"Wait... You told All Might?" Naomasa shook his head. Damn his partner. Why did he always do things without telling anyone? "What did you even tell him?"

Sora chuckled.

"To kick Shazam's ass."

Goddamnit, Sora...

He had to call All Might as fast as possible!

S

The dinners were normally a quiet affair in their home. Him and mom were just too similar in how awkward they were. They exchanged a few words about school and work. About classmates and coworkers.

And then he told her about his plans for high school. He picked every word well and carefully, ensuring that mom wouldn't see through his lies. She didn't. Which made him feel both happy and bitter. He wasn't blind. He knew how much mom worried about him and his impossible dream. And he was genuinely happy how relieved she looked when he told her he would be applying for another course.

Didn't make him feel any better about not telling her the entire truth. He knew better though. If he told her, she would either think him crazy or demand proof. He wasn't sure which one was worse.

As he made it back to his room, he felt the slightest current of electricity run through the air. It was still the sense he was getting used to. As the Gods explained, when they sealed the evil forces away, they had to separate worlds of magic and mortals entirely. Lock both realms away from each other. And now with the Seals weakening, there were now holes in the unseen barrier.

Holes through which those demons came.

He whispered the word, allowing the lightning swallow him whole. His hoodie and pants were gone, replaced by the crimson skintight suit. He pushed the snow white fabric of the cape aside, looking down at his golden gauntlets and boots. Magni told him that his Champion form was as easy to alter as clay as long as he envisioned it properly. Which is why he still had his look changing from time to time. It was hard to settle on what he imagined he should look like.

A quick glance in the mirror to ensure that he got the face right. Leaner and sharper features. His hair was much shorter now, a messy top cut, if he remembered the name correctly. With only a few hints of grin in the otherwise jet black hair. Only his eyes remained unchanged.

"Let's get to work."

The night patrols were the time when he hunted the most of monsters. Some of them were simply more nocturnal in nature. Some thrived on the sins that happened in the dark. Horus told him that, during the night, more of the dark magic escaped into their world.

Their world...

It was still something to get used to. Knowing that both normal and paranormal existed alongside each other, separated by the thin veil of magic. According to the Pantheon, there have always been small natural breaches between the two realms. Manageable, contained and with minimum amount of danger to them. But now that the Seals of Magic were weakened, those with greater power behind the veil could destroy it entirely.

They are not strong enough to break free yet, Izuku recalled the words of Horus. When the demons came into the physical realm, they were significantly weakend. Because their magic reserves were eaten up by both using their abilities and keeping their physical forms in human realm. They thought that would be enough to defeat him while he was inexperienced and weak. And a month or two ago, they would be right.

Though now that he had some practice with his powers, they were barely any problem.

With another blast of lightning, he reduced another demon into ashes. They were bound to their own realm - the Void World. Horus and Magni encouraged him to use their spells to erase the demons from existence on both realms. And, in a way, he could understand why they wanted him to do it. Sealing them away. Destroying them here. None of it killed them entirely. It would take time and they would be reborn in their respective realms. Memories and all intact.

He couldn't bring himself to do it, however.

"Be Sealed," he spoke and traced his hand across the invisible to mortals tear in time and space. Tears and holes like this were numerous across the city. Not by accident, of course. Someone from the other side was actively making them here, in his city. All with hope of overwhelming him. Destroying him and leaving the word defenseless. "Alright, time to lift up the Glass."

He picked up the item he placed in the middle of the street. The runes on it were running thin and pale. He would need to replace it soon. Which meant another six hours of constant chanting and pouring the magic into it. Six hours of work for the sake of only four of its work. Izuku didn't complain though. The charm might have robbed him of sleep but it ensured nobody saw him fighting demons.

You could pick one fight with demons in the open and call them villains with weird Quirks that got away.

But you couldn't do it all the time without people asking questions.

This little charm ensured that nobody saw him or the demons when he used it.

That nobody asked him any unnecessary questions.

"Hello there, young vigilante!"

Izuku stopped dead in his trucks. He recognized that voice. He would recognize it out of thousands voices talking at once.

No freaking way...

Nervously, he turned around.

"Do you mind answering a few questions of mine?"

S

Yagi looked down at the man before him. He was surprised, which was not unexpected. The general public always thought that someone like All Might would only appear to stop major disasters like tsunamis and earthquakes or fight villains in the middle of the rampage. And he usually did. Stealth was not his forte. And most villains tended to get too intimidated by him to properly cooperate.

Normally, he would trust the likes of Aizawa or Edgeshot to handle such task.

But today was not a normal day. The man before him was not a normal man.

_Calm down, Toshinori,_ he chastised himself. _He might not even be related to All For One._

Though the evidence was all there. According to Mon-san and Tsukauchi-kun's investigation, this man was a total enigma. They had no address or actual name. Not even a single sighting of that man from before. They tried contacting heroes who could look into the past of others but something prevented them from witnessing the man's past. Something... or someone.

The fact that he had multiple Quirks only added to the top hero's growing suspicion and dread.

"S-Sure," the man said, his eyes still wide in shock. "M-My name is Shazam, sir. It's a great honor to meet you."

The man squealed under his breath as he shook his head. No, it must have been a trick on his ears. No way the man before him just squealed. Or perhaps he did, though that might have been a trick to get him to lower his guard. He needed to keep an eye on this man.

"So... Uh, you wanted to talk here or...?" Shazam trailed off. Yagi threw a cautious look around. This place couldn't be trap now, could it? Best change the location just in case. He took off into the sky, letting the cold night air whistle in his ears. "W-Wait, at least warn me before you leap like that, All Might!"

Enhanced strength, speed, durability and stamina. Manipulation over electricity and water. Flight. Mon-san suspected there could be more powers. As they flew through the night sky, Yagi couldn't help but think to the days back when he only began. The powers All For One granted his underlings. Sometimes he wanted some raw power and nothing more. Those he saw potential in, he gifted powers far more complex and versatile.

Shazam appeared to fit in neither category.

Not that it earned him any good points in his book.

"it's great up here, isn't it?" the man said, gazing off into the night horizon. "Sometimes I wish I could just fly around all day long. No villains or disasters. Just to... Just watch the night sky from here."

For a second, Yagi didn't see a potential monster created by All For One. The vigilante clad in red and gold seemed so genuine in his awe that the hero could almost see a child in his place. He suppressed the feeling, reminding himself that the monster that killed Nana knew how to manipulate him well. He needed to get the answers out of this man fast. Before his paranoia drove him crazy.

"We are here."

They landed on the top of an old abandoned building on the outskirts of town. Yagi made sure to memorize locations like this, naturally. You never knew when his form would give out and he needed a place to hide. Tonight though, this place was not for his sake. "Are you ready to answer my questions, Shazam?"

"Y-Yes, sir," the man averted his gaze. Once again, Yagi reminded himself that right now he was All Might the Top Hero. Not All Might the Teacher. As much as this man weirdly reminded him of a teen. "I-I guess it is about my vigilante work, right?"

At best, it would be. Yagi certainly hoped that was all there was.

"Correct," the blonde hero nodded. "Tell me, why are you doing this?"

"Because I always wanted to be a hero," the man said wihout a single bit of hesitation. His eyes grew heavy with memories. Pain and doubt were clear on his face. "But I just wasn't good enough to... I... I was Quirkless, so my dream was unachievable."

"Quirkless?" Yagi's eyes narrowed. Quirkless and then suddenly he had all these powers. "I find that hard to believe."

The man chuckled.

"Y-Yeah, me too," he stood silently, clearly choosing his next words carefully. "I got the chance to prove myself though. And I did it, if barely. And now I got all these powers. Which is why I am doing what I am doing. Because it is only the right thing to do."

It sounded all great. But it did nothing to soothe his suspicions. Nana told him of all the times All For One pulled the same trick in her time. He could still remember the same things happening back when he only started out.

How the man would find the weak and desperate Quirkless. How he whisper the promises of power and their dreams becoming reality into their ears as he granted them Quirks. All at the humble price of their loyalty to him. Not all of those who took his offer wanted revenge or some other petty payback. There were many of those who wished to be heroes. Only to be manipulated and used by him in the end.

Could it be that Shazam was one of them?

"Why are you operating as the vigilante instead of receiving the license and becoming a proper hero?"

The red-clad vigilante seemed hesitant to answer. It was hard to tell how that made him feel. All For One demanded absolute excellence from his underlings - that included the convincing backstory and the ability to lie on the spot. On the other hand, in his later years, the first villain also grew to embrace hands-off approach with his groups. Could Shazam be one of his many projects?

"I-I can't do it right now," the vigilante said nervously, running his hand through the thick black hair. The lightning on his chest grew dim, as if reflecting his hesitation. Was he nervous because he was onto him? It made sense though: sudden Quirk awakening at such late age would raise eyebrows among many. That would lead to questioning. And that would lead to his imprisonment.

"I... Uh, I just have a lot on my plate right now but... All Might, sir... Can I trust you?"

Could he?

"Yes, you can trust me."

The man nodded. He took a step back, ready to say something. He opened his mouth, Yagi noticed the previously clear sky above them grow heavy with clouds. The man took a deep breath and opened his mouth, looking ready to shout...

The words died in his throat before a single sound was made. His gaze grew confused and uncertain as he looked back at him. Suddenly, Yagi felt like Shazam was the one trying to get the truth out of him with the stare alone. The man looked as if he was talking yet his mouth did not move. Telepathy? Was he conversing with someone else right now?

"U-Uh, nevermind, I... I am going to say it later," the sudden shift in tone and nervousness in his stance alerted Yagi. He was going to escape. "I gotta go."

His hand landed firmly on the man's shoulder. In a span of seconds, his brain worked though countless questions that he could have asked. A real name. An address. Anything. Yet, as his paranoia reached its peak, he asked the young man a single question instead:

"Did someone give all these powers to you?"

He saw it. Realization. Shock. Fear. Excitement.

"You know him, too?"

Knew him? The words made Yagi's blood boil. Not the casual indifference with which he said them. Not the disregard towards those the vigilante's Master has used and abandoned. No, it was the damned excitement with which Shazam looked at him. As if he found what he was looking for. As if he was freed of some heavy burden.

"I do," Yagi whispered, his voice sounding close a growl. "Please, Shazam, tell me, did he force these powers on you? Did he threaten someone close to you?"

Shazam looked at him confused.

His lips stretched into a mockery of a smile.

"No, he didn't," the man spoke. He sounded upset, mournful even. "He offered me the power to help people. I failed to prove myself at first but... He was in no condition to look for someone else. Which is why he bestowed his power to me. And I am going to make sure I prove he wasn't wrong."

Shazam smiled. In the sudden rain, the man's expression looked like the bad joke at him. Smiling like there was nothing wrong in accepting power from that monster. Speaking so casually of remaking the world into the messed up vision All For One has been trying to force on others for countless years. All with that damned smile on his face.

"So what do you say, All Might?"

The red-clad vigilante held out his hand.

"Wanna work together?"

S

Pain.

That was the first thing Izuku felt once he came to his sense. His jaw hurt like hell, as if he took a freaking hammer to it. He could feel magic flow through his flesh, healing the damage. Not that it removed pain or the shock from it though.

_What hit me again? Wait... Did All Might hit me?_

It happened so fast. He could remember holding out hand to All Might. How could he not? Of all the people, it only made sense that, at some point, All Might must have been taken by the Wizard too. He wasn't sure why he wasn't chosen a Champion though. But he definitely knew about the Wizard.

Who else could grant people powers but the Wizard, after all?

But why were the Gods telling him to get away from All Might?

What did they say again, 'smells of Pride'? It was All Might they were talking about. He was easily one of the most humble heroes. There had to be some sort of mistake. He looked at his idol and, to his relief, felt no dark magic from him. Not possessed then. Which still didn't explain why he got punched so hard.

"Regeneration as well," All Might landed right in front of him. His expression was... Unusual. A sharp contrast to his normal shiny and sunny smile, there was a deep frown on his face. His eyes glowed cold in the night. Even the people that gathered were not cheering for him as loud as they usually did. "I should have known from the start you were one of his latest creations."

His tone and voice were filled with rage.

"A-All Might, sir," he raised his hands to show he wanted no fight. He was All Might, for God's sake. "Are you angry at him? I understand that what he did was wrong... I know that he did the same to many people. But you have to understand too, he was just trying to help all of us. He was just to-"

"Enough!"

Izuku and everyone on the streets took a step back, not quite trusting their eyes or ears. The roar just now seemingly killed all the sounds but the rain. Only his heavy, hate-filled breathing was heard as the country's top hero glared Izuku down. There was no mercy in those blue eyes. Only pain. Only loss. Only anger.

"Do you have any idea what your Master has done over the years he has lived? All the people he took? All the lives he has ruined? And all for what? Some twisted ideal of balance!"

How many people were summoned before him, Izuku often wondered about that. How many of them were told they could be Champions only to have the old sorcerer shout in their faces that they were unworthy. Izuku couldn't help but wonder if he would be just as angry as All Might right now. He would be. He knew that. Hell, he was angry just like All Might was.

But that didn't mean the Wizard's ideals were twisted!

"He was wrong in his approach, I will admit that. But that doesn't mean his ideals were wrong," Living for thousands of years. Fighting monsters and demons. Making one compromise after another. That was a heavy duty. One that Izuku still feared to carry one day. "I am sorry for what happened to you, All Might. I really am. But that doesn't mean I am going to abandon the mission he gave me. Even if it costs me my life, I will see that his sacrifice was not in vain."

He hoped his words would bring All Might to his senses.

Instead, the man's gaze only hardened.

"I see," he breathed a sign of disappointment. "I hoped that there was some way to convince you otherwise. That you were not blind to the atrocities your Master has committed. But it appears you are beyond any hope as you are now."

All Might cracked his knuckles. The mere air released from it pushed the rain droplets away from him for a few brief moments.

"Which is why, you have only yourself to blame!"

All Might moved like a bullet, arm drawn back, the power chargin up in his flesh. Izuku panicked, the fear spreading to his heart and head, overwriting common sense. He had no idea what got into All Might or why he hated the Wizard so much. All that he knew was that this time his idol was going for the killer move. His body moved accordingly, running on shock, confusion and fear.

Izuku's eyes burned as he charged his own fist with lightning of Zeus and power of Magni. He wanted to only scare All Might off, as impossible as it sounded. To put his fist against his and stop the fight before it escalated any further. But the past few weeks he spent training with Magni and Zeus, the Gods who summoned replicas of their greatest warriors to train him.

Which is why his next move came without thought, to his horror.

He stepped out of the way, using the burst of speed to not only redirect All Might's attack into the air but also deliver his own devastating punch to the man's stomach. All Might spurted out blood and... flew. Izuku watched in horror as he didn't stop mid-air and instead continued to fly further and further into the night sky.

"Oh my God... I punched All Might..."

The realization sank in.

"I PUNCHED ALL MIGHT!"

S

The sound of explosion ripped through the air. The ash and smoke rising in the place of the old piece of crap that once used to be a washing machine. Seriously, how the fuck did some asshole just leave it here? Did he literally take one look at the beach and thought, 'Yup, that's where the dump is!'? Not that it mattered. He wasn't here to think on stupid assholes leaving their stupid shit on this fucking beach!

Katsuki was here to make up for lost time.

Two months. He had spent the last two months in the fucking hospital. All those weeks he was treated like a fucking glass figure. Those jackoff doctors picking and probing at him, trying to find whatever the hell happened to him back then. Some freaky Quirk, that's what it was. He didn't need a doctor's degree to know that it was just some dude and his fucked up Quirk that messed with his head.

The Quirk because of which he was still feeling the burning in his chest and hands every time he used his own power.

He fell onto the ground, out of breath and strength. Ten times. Ten fucking explosions was all that his body could handle before it gave up on him. Before he found himself on the dirty ground unable to move. And even those ten explosions were weak as shit. To blow up the damned washing machine took all tha remaining strength he had left. He even chose this place to train because of all the stupid heat here.

But it didn't help. As if his Quirk was just frozen, it didn't get any stronger no matter how much he sweated. He could be drenched from head to toe in his own nitroglycerin and all he could manage at best was the small sphere of explosion. His Quirk - one that he prided himself in for so many years. The Quirk that promised him the riches and the fame to spread his idea of heroism. The power that would immortalize him as the man who surpassed All Might...!

It was gone. Just... gone.

"Raaaargh!"

That wasn't fucking fair. He put all that work, all that time into being strong. The days he spent training his Quirk, developing newer and better ways to utilize it. The nights he spent studying his ass off to make sure he aced not just the practice part of the exam but theory too. All these years he spent training both his body and mind into his ideals of a hero... All of it was gone just like that.

In a single encounter with that crazy fucker, he lost everything. His past was gone now, all the sacrifices he made lost and impossible to recover. As for his future? What future did he fucking have even? Fight and fail in the entrance exam, cementing himself as the complete and utter fool? Barely scrap by and enter only to live as the small fry? A fucking nobody? A good-for-nothing like... like Deku?

Fuck this shit!

So he got fucked over, so fucking what? He wouldn't let some stupid asshole fuck up his life like that! He was back at the starting line, so fucking what? He would claw his way back to the top. He would show up any asshole who doubted him. Yes, that's exactly what he was going to do. Fuck that creep. Fuck the doctors that looked down at him with pity. Fuck them all.

He was Katsuki Bakugou.

He didn't need pity.

He didn't need anything or anyone but himself.

Just you wait, All Might.

"I am going to surpass you!"

Someone clapped their hands, the slow and sarcastic rhythm pissing the blonde off. Whoever decided to fuck with him right now chose a horrible fucking time. His Quirk was busted but he could still kick their ass.

"Easy there with the glare, brat," the old ass blew out the stream of smoke. "I am not here to give you any bloody pity. Mostly because you are a little cunt that doesn't really deserve it."

The fuck did he just say?

"You wanna come closer and say that to my face, you bastard?"

The trenchcoat fucker had the nerve to smirk at him.

"Nah, I kind of like mocking you from over here."

This asshole...!

"Then I am getting to you and kicking your ass!"

He moved fast, arms ready to grab onto the asshole's collar and threw him onto the ground. He would pin him down and beat the everliving shit out of him till this bitch was begging for mercy. It all happened within a second. Just not the way he expected it to.

Just as planne, Katsuki charged at the hobo in a trenchcoat. And then, with his collar in an ironclad grip, he prepared to throw the asshole onto the ground. Only for the blonde bastard to vanish in his very hands. Just as he was swallowed by the sudden darkness.

The beach and the sun and the sea. It all was devoured by the shadow and Katsuki found himself standing in the middle of nowhere. Where the fuck was he? Fucking God, what was this shit again?

"Bloody hell, Fate told me you were kind of a brat," the bastard crouched before him, looking the blonde dead in the eyes. "Didn't know you were that much of a fucking wanker though. Wait till the adults finish talking next time, you twit."

Katsuki roared and lunged at the man, his rage growing beyond his control. On instinct, he slammed his palm into the ground where a second ago the man stood. What surprised him, however, was not the old ass' sudden vanishing trick. But rather the explosion that he created. Loud and powerful just like he remembered it. No, it looked like that but it wasn't. It was much more powerful, filled with the strange heat he seemed strangely familiar with.

The same power as that bastard that wrecked his body two months ago.

"Well, aren't I the lucky bastard?" the man scoffed. He whistled as he touched the mark of his explosion. Katsuki's eyes widened as he saw the weird purple light cling onto the man's fingers. "Kind of hoped the runes would fail and I wouldn't have to honor my deal. But of course, the one time I decide not cheat, I am the one getting conned. Bloody bollocks."

What? Just what the hell was going on here?

"What the hell are you blubbering about?" Katsuki growled as he struggled to get back on his feet. Whatever was in that explosion, he certainly had no power for more. "Who the fuck are you?"

The man took another drag of his cigarette before exhaling the black smoke.

"The name is is John Constantine, you wanker." his eyes glowed two eerily blue lights. "I am gonna teach you to fight demons."

The man snapped his fingers.

Two shadowy figures emerged from nowhere.

"The lesson begins now, blondie. Let's hope you survive."

* * *

**And here we go! The public loves and hates Shazam. What is he? A return to good old school heroics or the reckless lawbreaker that should be brought under control? **

**And yeah, All Might and Izuku really messed up on that conversation, didn't they? In their defense, each one of them is being too vague. All Might says "grants powers" and thinks about AFO. Izuku says the same but thinks about the Wizard.**

**Did All Might overreact? I don't think so. I like to think that All Might has always been on edge about AFO's return. Now you have this sudden appearance of the guy with multiple Quirks who says he wanted power (motivation to join AFO) and talks like some kind of AFO fanatic.**

**Did Izuku act stupid? You could say so. In a way, in this case, it was his admiration of All Might that played against him. He got so excited to be talking to All Might as equals that he said more than needed or wanted and practically cause the entire fight.**

**And yeah, that was the reference to Shazam punching Superman. I loved it!**

**As for the last bit, what are your thoughts? Bakugou is no longer as strong as he was, his power destroyed by possession. More on it later, of course. Don't lose your sleep over him though! John Constantine is very good with kids, I heard. **

**Anyways, read and review, folks! Your reviews are my fuel!**


	4. Chapter 4: Zugzwang

**RunOnSentences:** Cheap and overdone is how I like my meat and stories! In all seriousness though, I am thankful for you taking time to write a review and will take it into account!

**dark-feel:** It is not cheap! It is bargain-price!

**Saint-Leiker:** Good with children? Hell no. But assholes like Bakugou? Just what the doctor ordered.

**Mr ChubbySnorlax619:** Inspiration and other DC heroes? You should share some ideas with me!

**EquinoXX:** Shame, really. But oh well, that's your tastes and I am glad you were honest with me!

**Bastion Lightz:** Hopefully, indeed. And yeah, Bakugou didn't simply lose a Quirk. It's even worse. He still has it but it is so weakened that it is basically a mockery of his power. A painful and humiliating reminder of what he lost.

**roger9481:** Fate and Trenchcoat Brigade? Well, doesn't that sound amazing?

**DragonFang1917:** Thanks a lot! I didn't want to portray All Might as a jackass, that's all!

**SentinalSlice:** THE ROARING 20S! We all have 2020 vision now! And boy does it suck, huh? And yeah, Izuku ia different from Billy in that he is more cautious and awkward as himself so it translates into his Shazamsona!

**erasenpai946:** True about Bakugou. Counterpoint though, he is being trained by Constantine. You know that the guy won't put up with blonde's bullshit for long and will teach him a thing or two about humility.

**Amalgum:** Constantine? Just chilling. Kicking the shit out of Bakugou's head and pissing all over his ego.

**genaralraam:** Really? Honestly, compliments like this mean a lot. I am serious, knowing that people didn't expect to like it and then actually liked it always makes me feel good and warm!

**mastercheif1229:** I am looking forward to your review for this chapter!

**hunkogeez:** Meh? Oh shoot, and here I hoped you would love it! No worries, just joking. Many men and many minds, am I right?

**Airchampion:** HAve you wanted long? Ready to see this chapter? Hope you are!

**acosta perez jose ramiro:** I will keep up the good writing if you keep up your awesome reviews!

**LawKaynn:** Constantine is really the damn fine bloody block, innit?

**mastergamer14:** Not bad, Sherlock. You get a cookie!

**TheSmilingMask:** Thanks, man! No worries, I know how badass Shazam powerset is and try not to forget about it! As for other magic heroes and villains, only time will tell I guess.

**Icedev:** 'Wanker' is Constantine's "I am Batman."

**Fanguy59:** Wish granted, my good man!

**D3lph0xL0v3r:** Oh come on, he is not that bad! Actually, he is worse but yeah! He did get what he deserved, I guess.

**Yohnos:** Because it is a fun game for people of all ages, genders and religion!

**PasiveNox:** Thanks!

* * *

_"Sensei... I... I am so sorry."_

_Nana Shimura was the woman who inspired him to smile. Who helped him become who he was today. A Quirkless nobody with a dream but no power to accomplish it. A fool who was too powerless to do anything to help her. She had so much more to live for. She still had so much to accomplish and do. She didn't deserve to die. Why..._

_"Why did you sacrifice yourself for me?"_

_He was a nobody. The gift of One For All was wasted on him. If he died, it would go back to her. She would be strongest. Strong enough to take down All For One. Instead she saved him. Told Gran Torino-san to take him and run. If she were still alive... If only he had been a better student... _

_"I promise to you, sensei... Once I am back from America... I will find All For One."_

_He wiped away the bitter angry tears, crying out until his voice got hoarse._

_"And he will never take another life again!"_

He made that promise on her grave, bowing down to the lifeless stone. He promised her that All For One's reign ended with her. No more crime syndicates doing his bidding. No more villains throwing their lot with him. No more innocent lives twisted and corrupted by him into loyal minions.

"In the end... I see that I failed to make good on my promise."

He looked at the man before him, still surprised by the power he had. It has been so long since he was pushed back, let alone sent flying like that. It wasn't just the brute strength, however. When he was struck, he could feel the air itself shift and move around the vigilante's fist. And when he was sent into the air, he swore he could feel the currents grow solid and continue to strike him.

_Did All For One grant him several Quirks without him turning into another monstrosity?_

The original villain never was able to grant a person more than one Quirk. Not without rendering them mindless animals with slowly rotting bodies. He wasn't able to perfect the process in the time of his Master. But if what he felt was real, then that only added more to the worry he had concerning Shazam. If he was truly the product of All For One, then their situation was dire. Very dire indeed.

"I thought you'd run away by now."

"... I punched you."

Yes. Yes, he did.

"I... punched you." he gripped his hand in... worry? Shock, perhaps? Yagi watched the young man's motions carefully. "Oh my God, I did it!"

He was losing it. Perhaps the process that gave birth to him wasn't perfect. It was clear that this man was going through some sort of 'glitch' so to speak. What triggered it though? He very much doubted that All For One would be angry with his creation successfully attacking him. Unless... Unless his objective was never to kill him.

_All For One has always loved theatrics._

And having one of his puppets kill him would simply not be dramatic enough. Most likely, he wanted Shazam to defeat him and send the message to those that lurked in the shadows. That he was still alive. And if not, still powerful enough that his legacy would be able to crush the Peace that he had created. Yagi gritted his teeth in frustration and anger.

If All For One wanted to send the message so badly.

Then he would be the one to kill the messenger.

"Why are you so loyal to him?" Yagi looked at the man before him. If he indeed had enough mind to talk and act, then perhaps there was still hope of helping this poor soul. "Why are you ready to follow the orders given to you by him?"

Shazam looked back, eyes heavy. Doubtful. But still full of that loyalty to the monster.

"Because he believed in me when others didn't," he said. "He was a jerk about it too. But in the end, he trusted me enough with this power. Trusted me to carry on his legacy and make sure that the world is safe. And, as much as I may argue with some of his outdated views, I agree with the necessity of his actions. I am not quitting. Even for you, All Might."

Then there was nothing more that he could do.

"I am sorry for hitting you that hard. But I really gotta go-"

His hand was on the young man's hand, smashing the vigilante into the ground before he could finish his sentence. He hated doing this. He hated it even more when the man looked at him with those wide eyes of his, the sheer pain and shock in them reflecting how betrayed he felt. But what more did he expect? What else could he do now that his worst suspicions were confirmed?

All For One was back.

And if he was willing to let Shazam run free like that, then that meant the vigilante was simply the bottom of the barrel.

"Sorry, son."

He lifted the man by his collar.

"I am taking you in."

S

_"Did you see it, guys?" Kacchan looked at the screen, his eyes sparking with awe. The same expression the other kids shared as they watched their hero fight. "These guys thought they could ambush, All Might but no! Just like that. with one punch, he took them all out!"_

_"All Might is awesome!"_

_"He is invincible!"_

_"Like I always say, guys," Kacchan grinned. "All Might always wins!"_

All Might always wins.

It was the pattern that repeated so often that people took it as a fact. Just like the object that went up would inevitably go down, any villain that faced All Might would be defeated. This fact made the life what it was today for the people of Japan. It was because of All Might's believed invincibility that men and women could live their lives in peace and calm.

It was one of the many reasons why Izuku looked up to the man so much.

All Might always won.

Which made his situation infinitely worse.

"I am taking you in," the man stared him down. The sheer power in his eyes almost made Izuku want to surrender there and then. "Do not make this any harder than it has to be."

The crowd around them cheered and jeered. No prize for guessing whom they supported and whom they yelled insults at. Izuku didn't put puch weight into what people thought of him thought. Besides the criticism that helped him improve, he didn't pay much attention to what people said about him. Not when he started. And especially now when he was fighting a freaking All Might.

"Sorry, All Might," he said, careful not to alert the man of his next move. "But I don't feel like meeting the police at this hour."

And he just couldn't risk it. The Pantheon said he would be able to remain in his form for as long as he wished. That, however, didn't rule out the possibility of one of the detectives or heroes having a Quirk that would reveal his true identity. Not to mention the fact that magic was real and the dark forces were coming back. He thought about telling it people straight. Until Anahit convinced them not to.

The world was chaotic enough as it is. Telling people that all the monsters and demons and Gods and magic were real wouldn't help them. Not unless he could somehow convince them to trust it all to a fifteen year old kid.

"... Then you leave me no choice."

All Might drew his fist back. Izuku exploded with lightning. He didn't blast All Might with lightning. Or throw a fist charged with the magical energy. Instead, he used the power in his hands to blind the hero with a bright lightning strike. The hero cried out, the sudden magic analogue of flashbang catching him by surprise. Using this moment, Izuku tried to take off to the sky. He had no idea why All Might suddenly wanted him captured but he had no time or opportunity to find out. He needed to get out of here as fast as possible.

In his rush to get away from All Might, however, Izuku forgot one of the greatest weaknesses every hero had struggled with since the very dawn of the heroic age.

Capes.

"Not so fast!"

He choked, the white fabric around his cutting into his throat as he was dragged back to the ground. Eyes still closed, All Might didn't lose any power or determination in his stance or strength as he swung Izuku around like a ragdoll. With a mighty roar, he slammed the boy down onto the road before stepping down on his chest.

_"He is capable of hurting us more than normal mortals,"_ Horus spoke in amusement. _"Impressive."_

_"There is something more to his power,"_ Amaterasu whispered, observing the aura that surrounded the man. _"Something that transcends the world of the living. But is neither our blessing nor the demon's power."_

_"Any advice how to handle him, guys?"_ Izuku thought back desperately, struggling with the weight of his idol's foot on his ribcage. _"Before I get taken in and interrogated would be great."_

_"Allow me."_

Zeus' voice was the last thing he heard before his mind went blank. As if his body and mind were pulled apart, he became a silent observer to the world before him. The skies cried out in fury, the vicious winds began to tear through the streets. People held onto the lamp posts and walls and whatever else their hands had found. It was quite clear the air currents were strong enough to pick them up and throw them away like paper dolls.

And only the fact that these winds were focused on All Might saved them from such fate.

The man fought and struggled. And he would have won if it were not for a poor soul that got caught in the attack, All Might would have ended it all. But as a hero, he took off after the girl and held her tight. Whispering the comforting words and praising her bravery. Just as the sudden storm began, it ended. And all the eyes were now on Izuku. Anger. Fear. Hate.

_"W-What the hell was that?"_ Izuku cried in his head as he took a look around. His mind was still foggy. Messy and confused. _"What have you done, Zeus?"_

_"Display of my power, as limited as it is in the modern world. And your chance to leave the area and end the fight,"_ Izuku's eyes widened in surprise. So the Gods could act through him? Though judging by how tired Zeus sounded, it wasn't something they could do easily. _"Foolish child, you should have left. No people were in real danger. The Hero would take care of that."_

Would he though? So what if All Might was here to save that child, it didn't give them the right to just cause the panic and... And leave all these people to suffer from what he had caused! Shit, the more he looked, the worse it looked.

"To think that you would endanger all these people just to shake me off," All Might whispered. "You brought this on yourself!"

They moved at the same time, the sheer power behind their step shaking the air. Where he stood was now a giant hole, the Speed of Savitr saving him last moment. He never tried moving that fast in a fight before. But he knew that All Might wasn't like the Terror Trio or anyone he had faced these past few months. The Trio were vicious and well-coordinated criminals. All Might was ten times more than that on his sick days.

He had power that was recognized by the world. The power that had him compared against the other top heroes of the world. The power that allowed him to end battles simply by appearing on the scene.

He had the skills honed over the years of work. The experience All Might had accumulated over the years of hero work in both Japan and the United States was vast enough for the whole generation of heroes.

Izuku had the power of Gods he still had to get full mastership over. Without a doubt, impressive powerset that could put even All Might to shame. But Izuku didn't have his experience or memories of hard battles.

He, however, had three entire notebooks on All Might alone.

"Minnesota Smash!"

All Might moved with his fist drawn up, ready to punch him all the way into the sky. Then he would use that hand to grab him and knee him in the stomach. Disoriented and breathless, he would be dragged down and into the ground. An obscure move he came up with on the spot way back in America, something he hadn't used as often as Texas or Carolina Smashes.

"What?"

His notebooks covered everything. The maximum weight he lifted and for how long. The fastest he could run or highest he could jump. Every single battle All Might fought in his career. Every tactic and move he had utilized even once. All of it was recorded, analyzed and categorized in Izuku's notebook. And with the memory granted to him by Anahit, he could call back any piece of information he needed.

So no matter how obscure the move was, as long as it was something All Might had, Izuku would know it.

Which is why he didn't fall for the feint and moved under All Might. His flight was the advantage he needed to make more use of. All Might relied on fast and explosive motion. The tactic that allowed to put extra pressure on his opponents. With enough distance between them, even his more powerful attacks would become telegraphed.

"New Hampshire Smash!"

Another attack that made perfect sense. When airborne, All Might had several moves he would use. New Hampshire Smash was one of two that cut the distance between him and a retreating opponent while also delivering the necessary damage. Izuku twisted his body around, staring at the mountain of muscles rushing at him at top speeds.

He boosted himself forth, catching All Might by surprise. Not enough for him not to land a vicious punch to his face though. He bit his lips in pain, drawing blood. No time to cry or nurse his jaw. He pushed through the pain, grabbing All Might by his wrist. It was a given that the top hero drew back after the punch. He fought monsters in human bodies that surpassed him in strength.

But most of the time he fought villains so much weaker than him that he always held back. Always instinctively made sure to check if he struck them too hard. Always careful. Always afraid. How long has it been since All Might had to fight with all his power? How long has it been since he dedicated every bit of strength to take his enemy down? Too long, it seemed.

So long that he seemingly forgot how to deliver the attack to take the enemy down once and for all.

And Izuku used it for all it was worth.

A kick to the chin disorientated the hero. His vice grip on his wrist still strong, Izuku twisted his body around to throw his idol up and further into the night sky. He hated doing this. Hated every second they fought. Hated every punch he delivered to the man's back. It would be over soon, he promised himself. And it was. Grabbing onto the man's sides, Izuku stilled himself in the air.

Along with All Might in the night sky, away from people and street lights, Izuku channeled the power through his flesh and mind.

_"Please, Zeus, nothing more than a stun. Nothing more than that."_

With his silent pray to the God. With his eyes ablaze with lightning. With the words on his tongue heavier than ever before.

He whispered.

_**"SHAZAM!"**_

The lightning struck down,

Away from the crowd, up in the night sky, Izuku held the man he admired. The man that was there for him during the darkest of times. Izuku coughed, noticing that there was a lot of smoke. On a second thought, too much smoke for his liking. And the man felt much lighter in his hands too. As if he lost all his muscles... Just what did ha- Oh no...

"Oh my God!" he cried out, his real voice - that of a nervous wreck of a teen - breaking through. "What have I done?"

All Might...

The Titan of Truth.

The Juggernaut of Justice.

The Symbol of Peace.

He was gone! The shining hero was gone! And in his place laid a creepy wrinkled husk of a man. His muscles were gone, his suddenly pale skin now stretched across the skeleton like an old leather glove. His face that inspired so many works of art and shone with confidence and power was now a weird triangle, reminiscent of a goat skull. Even his eyes looked sunken and creepy!

Did...

Did he do this? Of course he did.

He turned All Might into a fucking mummy!

"I am so sorry! I didn't mean to!" He thought he had that lightning under control. It was supposed to stun the man. Stun! Stop him just enough for Izuku to fly back home and pretend nothing happened. But this... This was more than stunning someone. He evaporated all his muscles! "I swear, I will find a way to undo this horrible curse I put on you! What kind of dark magic is this even?"

Seriously, he heard about the Gods turning people into monsters as punishment. But this was crossing the line! Turning a man like All Might into this hideous thing!

"Y-You..."

All Might?

All Might!

"You are alive!"

"Y-You... sound happy..." he coughed. There was blood dripping from his mouth. "That afraid your Master will punish you for killing me?"

"You are hurt, All Might," Izuku reached for his wound. With a quick wave of his hand, the water from the air manifested and wrapped around his hands like gloves. He had practiced this spell enough to help. "Please, let me he-"

"I don't need anything from one of All For One's creations! Your Master has caused countless deaths and destruction. His sole reason for existing is poisoning the world until it is as dark and twisted as he is," He hissed, slapping his hand away. He spat, eyes ablaze. "Go and tell your Master and whatever allies he has gathered that your actions tonight were in vain. The Era of Peace will continue to live on, even if I die. The sacrifice of my Master was not in vain and her legacy will continue to live on in the heroes of tomorrow!"

All Might glared at him. Challenging him to do something about his words.

"Or better yet, bring me to him so that I can curse his name to his own face!"

His body might have changed but it was indeed All Might. His voice commanded respect. His eyes burnt with desire for justice. This was all so awesome! He just heard one of All Might's speeches on his heroism. In real life, to boot! If he had a recorder, it would become his family's treasure! And Izuku would be already holding out his notebook for the man to sign.

If only he wasn't so confused.

"Wait... Who is All For One?"

S

There was silence. Uncomfortable and awkward silence.

The two men stared at each other, each one trying to come up with the way to break it.

All Might was the first.

"You are fucking with me, right?"

Not the best way, but it was the only thing his brain could come up with. The only thing that made sense right now. Yes, that was it. Shazam was definitely another one of All For One's minions and just making fun of him for the hell of it. Except that he didn't sound mocking or condescending or anything of that sort, instead looking at him confused and worried. No, there was no way.

"Oh my God, you are serious, aren't you?"

The man nodded. He did so carefully and cautiously, as if afraid that the wrong answer would earn him another punch. Yagi groaned, noting that it wasn't that far from the expectations he already created. His mind now much clearer, he thought back to how the fight started by his hand. How the fight continued by his hand. And how the fight came to its end only by Shazam's decision.

All of this... People endangered and blood spilled... Over the misunderstanding he could have cleared up by asking a simple question. Do you work for All For One? A simple question and none of the mess would happen. And they almost killed each other because of it.

"...Fucking hell."

All Might was the Symbol of Peace. The golden standard that heroes and civilians alike were trying to live up to. He never made mistakes that couldn't be made up for. He didn't drink or smoke or even acted rude unless against villains. He never swore or cursed.

But Toshinori Yagi was the man who made countless mistakes and still lived with them. He was the man who felt like even his best was never enough. A man so haunted his failures and mistakes he attacked an innocent man and almost brought him to the police. That is, if in his anger, he wouldn't have done something to the man something worse than knocking him out.

"H-Hey, it's okay!" Shazam said, showing his face to him. To show that he was alright. "I am not hurt that much, you know."

Yagi looked at the man in shock. The wounds were healing. Slowly but they were. The bruises were fading. And so were the cuts. The momentary relief of seeing the man alright was almost enough to make the top hero smile. He squashed that feeling instantly. Shazam might have been alright, through whatever miracle his power granted him. But if it didn't?

What if all the bruises and cuts and broken bones he gave him were still there? Each wound that faded away meant nothing. None of them changed the fact that he rushed into action too soon and was willing to injure the man without any actual evidence.

_"He appeared out of nowhere, suddenly taking the country's attention by storm,"_ Mon-san said when they met. _"He, however, is not registered as a hero. We have no records on his civilian identity either. And, most of all, he has several Quirks. Tell me this mystery doesn't have 'All For One' written all over itself."_

It did. And it still had. For all he knew, this could still be some twisted scheme by All For One.

"I can heal you, you know?"

But then he looked at the man before him. Into his wide green eyes that looked so young and bright they might have belonged to a child. Was it really someone capable of such deception? He continued to stare into the man's eyes, desperately searching for an answer.

"Why do you want to heal me?"

He watched for the reaction. In years that worked as a hero, he witnesses countless times how one small glance could give the true nature of a person away. With Shazam, there was no shift. No mask slipped. No clue was given away. His expression still just as puzzled, he answered.

"You look like you could use some help."

There was nothing but the genuine desire to help.

Without another word, he let the man heal him. His palms, still coated in water, reached for his exposed flesh. His suit has been torn with that lightning strike, revealing his scar.

"This scar of yours... It has some bad history, huh."

"How did you know?"

Shazam removed his hands. Yagi breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the pain and fatigue gone from his whole body. In fact, it was the healthiest he had felt in years since that fateful night.

"My Quirk, uh, a part of it, I mean, is healing. But I can't heal people properly yet," Shazam spoke, carefully choosing his words. "I can heal almost any wound or damage done to someone's body... But only as long as they themselves want it. As long as they are willing to fight that damage themselves."

With the new knowledge, Yagi took another look at his scar. So it seemed that wound was staying, huh. The scar that was one of the many reminders of how little he could do against All For One. Reminder of how weak he was, even as the Symbol of Peace. He liked to think that it was one of the many things that kept him on his toes. Kept him humble and grounded.

But he would never lie and say that the same scar did not fill him with shame and self-hatred.

"I failed to protect the person most precious to me," he confessed, fingers tracing the tissue. It hurt every day. But not as much as did the memories of that night. "I got this scar when I tried to avenge said person. I thought that this scar and the damage I received were a small price to pay if the man I fought stayed in the grave."

But turns out, it was all for nothing.

"I am sorry for attacking you."

"Yeah, that was pretty stupid," Shazam chuckled. A second later, he broke into an awkward stutter. "I am not saying that you are stupid though, sir. I meant the whole situation and- Wow, I mean... We fought each other. Then I struck you with lightning and now... You look like this. I promise you I will find a way to undo this and give you back your normal self even if-"

"Kid," for some reason, the word felt fitting. "This is my normal self. That's how I always look."

Another moment of silence. Awkward and uncomfortable.

"... I am so sorry."

"Don't be," not many knew of his true form. And the contrast between it and his buff self was as big as day and night. "I guess I am not ready to lose that scar then."

He wondered if he ever would be.

"I-uhm... All Might, sir?" Shazam asked, once again sounding like a child rather than an adult. Perhaps he was afraid of causing another fight. Yagi made a mental note to officially apologize later. "So are you still going to try and take me to the police?"

"Sadly, I am."

He would. Or rather, he should. Even if he didn't suspect him of being one of All For One's creations, he was still a vigilante operating without a license. If not him, then he had little doubt someone else would be tasked with bringing him to the law. It was unfortunate, but something that you simply couldn't ignore. The society of today relied on the accountability of superpowered individuals.

"I just want you to understand, this is not something heroes like me take pride in. After all, if it were not for vigilantes, I doubt the world would be what it is today," He didn't like this part of their system. Arresting vigilantes like Shazam was basically spitting on the very concept that shaped the current hero society. But it was the way the world worked. The way it was meant to be. "But if we let vigilantes run free, what sort of message shall we send? That it's alright to operate on your own, answering to no one but yourself? That, as long as you have the power, you can decide who is guilty and not?"

Heroes reacted to danger. Heroes conducted investigation along with the police. And every crime they stopped, every villain they fought, every time they acted on the behalf of justice and truth? All of those things were checked and analyzed.

Did the hero properly identify the crime in process?

Did the villain captured require the amount of force used?

Did the hero have any personal bias against the person apprehended?

Some heroes complained that questions like that showed distrust towards them. That all these interviews and committees were just a waste of time and tax money. But Yagi disagreed. They lived in the society of people blessed with phenomenal powers. And as heroes, they were supposed to show that no matter the power, you were never above the law. Never too powerful to be held accountable.

"Not all vigilantes are like you, Shazam. I am glad you don't abuse your power. And from what I heard, you also make sure to clearn up your messes. That is something that not even all heroes do, trust me," Too many tried to argue against paying the damages. Some got away. Some slandered those that sued them, using their fame and protection to put pressure on the people. Something that the upper echelons of the Department was still working on. "But vigilantes, in general, are the people of chaos. Self-appointed executioners operating with only their agenda in mind."

In the States, there was even an underground society of vigilantes calling themselves The Outcasts. They were one of the biggest examples of how twisted the vigilantism could go. They were the people that despised the system of Quirk Regulation and Alpha Abilities Act. They went after villains on their own, often interfering in the police and pro hero affairs in the process. But worst of all, they were not above fighting the heroes. To prove that their ways were more effective somehow.

"If I refuse to come with you, you will come to take me in later, won't you?" Shazam asked nervously. "Can't say I am looking forward to it."

"Or you could get the license," Yagi suggested. Before the man could protest, he added, "I don't know why you haven't got one yet. And I am sure there's a reason for that. Let me guess, you don't want your family endangered."

Shazam's eyes grew heavy. He nodded solemnly.

"It is the problem many in our line of work face. But it's not like the moment you register, your name and personal information will become public knowledge."

For the license itself, you would need to provide your real name and personal data. But once you received the official license and established the agency, you could negotiate the terms of your confidentiality with the government officials. It was thanks to an arrangement such as this that Yagi was able to live a double life as the hero and his own secretary manager.

Many heroes had the similar arrangements in one form or another.

"Even if I was a vigilante?"

"That will draw some criticism, of course," Yagi didn't wish to lie. The media would be all over this. He was operating on his own for months now. And now coming back to get his license would seem as either surrendering to pressure or using the entire affair as a publicity stunt. "But after you pass the license exam, it will be only a matter of time before the hero community accepts you as one of our own. Much better than running away from the police all the time, don't you think so?"

The man was hesitating. Perhaps, there was something more than simply guarding his family?

His communicator came to life. Huh, he thought it would be fried in that lightning. It was from the other heroes. One of the officers at the scene must have informed them of the fight.

"You probably should go. The other heroes will be here soon."

"You are letting me go?"

"You wanna stay and come to the police station?"

"No," the man chuckled. "Not yet, anyway."

Not yet. Well, wasn't that promising?

"Thank you, All Might. I promise to think about your offer."

And with that, the man in red and gold disappeared into the night.

S

Nobody liked to be the subject of rumors. Like a game of broken phone, the original message would always be lost as the news passed from one person to another. And just like any rumor circle, people involved were always more interested in their personal amusement rather than the truth.

"Have you seen the video? The fight was crazy!"

"I know, right? Holy shit, my man Shazam fucking rocks!"

"Your man almost killed All Might, you moron. Shoul've known the guy was a psycho. Hope they lock him up soon."

Izuku walked through the halls, trying to shrink into himself. They were talking about him. All of them. Did he look suspicious? He hoped he didn't. How do you even look un-suspicious? Was that even a thing? Okay, he needed to calm down. Plus, it's not like there was any bad blood between them. They peacefully talked it out and resolved the miscommunication issues.

"Heard All Might will be hunting him down now personally."

"Will he be able to win though? The video cut off just when it got juicy!"

"It's All Might, dude. Shazam is dead meat."

Rumors. That was all there was. Clickbait articles claiming things that didn't happen. He read so many in the morning alone he wasn't quite sure why some reporters even bothered posting links to the video. Articles like the ones from We Were One The Scene were the prime example of it. The author briefly mentioned that he and All Might fought. And then proceeded to write three paragraphs about how he - Shazam - was planning to overthrow the government.

In the official statement, his idol announced that the fight was the mistake on his part. He never revealed the misunderstanding being the cause but said there was no ill will between them. However, he didn't fully support him either. As soft and polite his words were, the top hero of the country still expressed the desire to see Shazam surrender to the authorities and get his license.

_Wonder if that would be the best thing..._

His magic allowed his to change into whatever form he desired. He could always change his appearance and pose as an actual adult. The problem was creating a fake identity around it. He couldn't just show up with fake ID and hope it would work. He needed his name in the system and citizen registry. He needed a history behind the man too. His family, his school and his life up until he appeared at the doors of the Department.

All of that would cost money. More than he had or could earn as a part-timer.

_Guess I am staying a vigilante until I win a lottery or rob a bank._

"Hey, here comes Katsuki!"

"Oi, Bakagou, how are your hands?"

"Yo, Bakatsuki, still aiming for UA?"

The sudden change of topic caught Izuku's attention. Just as his former friend entered the classroom. His face had some fresh bruises and cuts, his arms still bearing the scars left from when he got possessed. It was stark contrast to Mizuhana and the other classmates. When he separated them from their demons, they sustained minor injuries or even none at all. Their Quirks were also intact.

Unlike Kacchan's.

"Hey, Katsuki, did you get into another fight?" it was Encho-kun. The boy with the detaching Quirk. Or the Eye Guy, as his friends called him. "Do you need me to beat someone up for you? I can do that if you agree to become my errand boy!"

When Kacchan returned to class, everyone treated him like a ticking bomb. God only knew how frustrated and angry he would be after two months of hospital stay. Somehow, however, he seemed different. Angrier but never voicing it. He didn't even pick on him a single time, something that caught everyone's attention. A week of rumors and theories came to an abrupt end when one of the guys from parallel class revealed the true reason behind his sudden change.

His aunt, apparently, worked in the same clinic that Kacchan was treated. Izuku wasn't sure why she told her nephew about the blonde's condition. Was she just a bored woman who liked sharing people's private information over a cup of tea? Did she want her nephew to look out for Kacchan and help him through such horrible thing? In the end, it didn't matter why she did. All that mattered was that Orudera Junior High's top dog was defanged and declawed in the eyes of its student body.

Suddenly, Kacchan became the main target for bullying. Nobody feared him anymore. And thus, nobody respected him anymore. Because in all the years that he attended the school, the blonde never tried forming relationships not based on him being the leader of the pack. And now that he no longer had the power to be one, he was the arget for revenge by all those that he wronged.

And there were many that wanted to get even with now powerless blonde.

"Aaaaah, my eye!" the boy cried in pain as Kacchan squished the eyeball of the bald kid in his fist. The whole class was silent. "Please, stop! You are going to crush it! Ah, you are crushing it!"

Or rather, seemingly powerless blonde.

"Can't believe shitstain that can only pull out his fucking eyeballs talks down to me," with a sneer, Kacchan released the boy's eye and let him nurse it. To everyone's surprise, he didn't follow that up with a threat or an insult and instead got back into his seat.

"Fucking asshole!"

"Leave him be. Not like he can be an actual hero now."

"I always thought he was trash, anyway."

That little display of force did nothing to stop the hushed insults and sneers thrown his way though. Izuku didn't doubt that Kacchan would also be getting a detention. Now that he was no longer the top candidate for UA spot, the teachers saw no reason to excuse his behavior like they did before. If anything, some were even looking for an excuse to punish him now in revenge for all the times he disrespected them.

_"You don't feel happy,"_ Savitr noted. _"Considering your history, I am surprised you didn't join in on the bullying."_

_"I don't see why I should be happy about another person's misery," _Izuku looked at his former childhood friend. He hated him. Ever since he encountered the fake Sins conjured by the Wizard, he was slowly working on accepting his less than positive traits. Not embrace them, of course. But accept and work on them. _"He made my life a living hell. And I would lie if I said I didn't wish he went through the same as I did but-"_

But even he didn't deserve this. He also couldn't help but feel it was his fault. The others were alright. So what was different about him?

_"Bad luck and nothing more,"_ Magni's voice boomed in his ear. _"The demon you fought back then was different from the ones that possessed your classmates. Not stronger or anything. Just more of an asshole. Some demons focus on the task and change bodies like suits. The one that took over the blonde was a petty parasite and decided to damage his body before leaving it."_

The Norse God scoffed.

_"Though that might be a blessing in disguise,"_ Izuku could practically feel the son of Thor stare at Kacchan for some unknown reason. _"Or another nasty gift, depending on how he grows."_

Grows? What did that mean? He tried asking but the Gods again were silent. Great. First, they say All Might was touched by one of the escaped Sins. Now there is something going on with Kacchan? And of course, he was not getting any answers yet. Well, whatever. He would figure out what was happening later. For now, he had other things to focus on.

He had been keeping tabs on any supernatural activities around the world. For now, to his great luck, the only places where demons seemed to spawn were in Japan.

_"The Seals across the world are weakened. But for as long as you are here and getting stronger, most of the magic threats will focus on this city. They want to eliminate you first before setting their true plans into motion,"_ Anahit said. Izuku circled another area on his miniature map. Another location they have successfully reinforced the Seal in. _"The monsters have yet to try and attack you. Though that might be due to their own conflict with demons in the Void World."_

Ah, the Void World... The place where the Gods sealed away all the magic. Good and Bad, all the mythical creatures were hidden on another realm, parallel and unseen to that of the mortals. Demons, monsters, fae and the like. They all were separate races and served their own goals and agendas. Horus said that it was highly unlikely they all wished to breach the barrier. And he had little doubt the other side suffered from its own infighting.

Not that it meant his life would be easier.

_"The Sins are still hiding. Right now, they are our most important target,"_ Zeus said. His voice cautious. Taught by the experience. _"The demons of the Void World may jump through breaches and holes in the veil. Some of the stronger ones may even create them, as few of them as there are."_

_"But the Seven Deadly Sins are the ones who may damage the world of mortals the most,"_ Horus whispered as Izuku circled the name of the group around. _"Unlike the other demons, they do not weaken with time spent in human realm. They grow stronger. With every sin committed by every human, they are growing more powerful."_

_"Ages ago, when the humanity was still small and developing, one Champion was enough to handle them,"_ Amaterasu added. _"But now there are billions of you. And the modern life is so complicated no human is without a sin."_

Him included. Izuku looked at his notebook. His new one that he kept separate from others. Spells and potions and details on magic he deemed important. All written in the ink only he could perceive. To anyone else who read it, it would look like miscellaneous stuff. Various recipes. Half-finished poems. Notes on heroes. Just a big and growing pile of nothing.

"NO FUCKING WAY!"

The sudden shout caught everyone's attention as all eyes turned to Hakatto. The sharp-toothed boy didn't seem bothered by it at all even as their teacher gave him a detention. Instead the boy said excitedly, "Everyone, check the news! Shazam is fighting the heroes live!"

What? Even the teacher pulled out his phone, all searching for the news on the battle. Izuku's hands shook as he found the link. As the video began, he grew numb and could only watch with baited breath. He was deaf to the words of the reporter, his eyes focused on the battle. On the one side, seven heroes stood, all bearing the marks of brutal beating. On the other, the man in red and gold.

With the glowing lightning on his chest.

_"Oh, getting tired already?"_ Even his voice sounded like his, except more sinister and mocking._ "Some heroes you are. And you were supposed to arrest me? What a joke!"_

One of the heroes - Izuku recognized him as Recoil - rushed his copy with his fist charged full of energy. The other heroes followed the suit. But the brief look the camera caught of the Shazam showed him unimpressed. Bored even. He moved like him. Fast and efficient, utilizing the combination of strength and speed to take down heroes one by one.

He kneed Recoil on his stomach before brutally slamming his face into the ground.

He tore through the wooden chains and locks of Kamui Woods tried to capture him with.

He took on the powered fists of Recoil and Blazebreaker, breaking their hands without a second of hesitation.

Mt. Lady grabbed him by the cape and began to squeeze the breathe out of him. There was no pain or struggle from his copy. If anything, it looked like she was trying to squeeze the water out of stone. Eventually, the man, with a sadistic grin, called down the lightning to give a giantess a nasty dose of electricity.

The attack that two remaining heroes used to absorb. Thunder and Strike - twins with the Quirk to absorb electrical energy, store it and release it. Locking their hands together, the duo proceeded to attack pseudo-Shazam with his own lightning. And it worked. The man doubled down in pain and fell to his knees screaming and begging for mercy.

They stopped.

And the man took them down a second later.

In the end, all seven heroes laid defeated. And the man wearing his face and the suit stood without a single scratch.

"Idiots, to fall for this trick..."

The man looked at him. At everyone watching through the camera. The man behind it and the report screamed as the false champion appeared in front of them, his very presence commanding fear and obedience. Izuku felt his insides twist into a knot as he looked at the man. Something was wrong with him. Somewthing was very very wrong with him.

_"Hello, citizens of Musutafu! My name is Shazam." _the man spoke, his voice now silky and soft. As if he didn't just brutalize the bunch of heroes in front of them. _"Apologies for such an... unsightly display. But please understand, I simply had no other choice other in this situation. As you might be aware, last night, I fought All Might. The man refuses to tell you why but I don't. It is because I am tired of today's system. Because I refuse to obey the rules of the system that needs to ba taken down."_

The whispers began spreading across the classroom. And Izuku sat silent, forced to watch as the man posing as him continued on.

_"All Might and the society of heroes he stands on the top of wants me collared and leashed just like everyone else. He says that my vigilantism is evil simply because it is not what the society defines as a 'pro heroism'. But I say that this way of thinking is outdated and broken. The piece of plastic doesn't make you a hero. Your actions do. But the society as it is today would rather lock us all in these stupid mentality of needing permission to do good in the world."_

He smirked.

_"The heroes I fought and defeated are just another part of the system," the man spat. "Greedy. Vain. Lazy. They are not what the world needs. Can you trust people who care about their sponsorship deals and costume designs more than they care about your lives? Aren't heroes supposed to act without an incentive of a paycheck and some merchandise deals? This is the Age of False Heroes that we are suffering in. And it is time to end it once and for all."_

The man spread his arms and smiled at him, the briefest flash of violet flickering in his eyes.

_"I will be the one to end it."_

With that, the man fried the camera and ended the broadcast.

The entire class sat in absolute silence, unsure what to think.

Izuku continued to stare at his phone.

_"...Guys?"_ That brief flash of color in the man's eyes... He could feel the Gods' distress and worry. _"Was that one of the-"_

_"Yes, Champion,"_ Horus spoke. _"One of the Seven Deadly Sins."_

As Izuku continued to stare at the screen before him, the still image of his doppelganger stared back at him mockingly. In unison, the voices of the Pantheon spoke the name of the Sin:

_"Pride."_

* * *

**And there you have it, folks! The first encounter with the Sin. Now, I understand that Pride as the Sin is not something you expect to encounter in the first chapters. After all, Pride is usually considered one of the biggest and most powerful Sins. In works portraying personifications of the Sin, Pride is usually the Leader, right?**

**Let's just say, I have a lot in the store for you with regards to the Sins. **

**The name of the chapter "Zugzwang" is the situation when whichever action you take, it leads to the worsening of your position. In this case, Izuku finds himself in such a situation because he can 1) ignore it and let the man ruin his reputation further OR 2) join the side of pro heroes entirely because him remaining a vigilante would keep him as a figure of suspicion.**

**The next two chapters will be the end of the first arc of the story.**

**Anyway, I really liked all of your reviews and hope for more! Reviews keep me updating faster and bigger chapters!**


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